The MGM Resorts Las Vegas Summer League schedule is here.
The Denver Nuggets will kick off their summer league season on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves who currently hold the 20th and 48th picks in this year’s draft. The Nuggets will play the following evening against the Boston Celtics who currently hold the 27th pick. Their final game of league play will be on Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks who currently hold the 17th pick. The Nuggets will have off days on Sunday and Tuesday. Following the games on Tuesday, all 30 teams will be seeded into a single elimination style tournament based on their record during the first 5 days of Summer League play which will conclude with the championship game on Tuesday, July 17th.
| Opponent | Gym | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timberwolves | Cox | 9 PM MT | NBA TV |
| Celtics | Cox | 9 PM MT | NBA TV |
| Bucks | Cox | 7 PM MT | ESPNU |
All three of the scheduled games will be televised, the first two on NBATV and the final game on ESPNU. Denver’s first 3 games are all scheduled to take place in Cox Pavilion, the smaller gym adjacent to the larger Thomas and Mack center. Cox Pavilion seats a little over 2,400 people, a significantly smaller and more intimate setting than a typical NBA arena.
Among the Denver Nuggets players who could potentially suit up for Summer League are second-year point guard Monte Morrie, third-year guard Malik Beasley, and 2017 second-round pick Vlatko Cancar. Denver’s 2017 first-round pick, Tyler Lydon is recovering from an arthroscopic knee surgery that he underwent in late January. There has not been an update on his availability at the time of this column. Third-year forward Juancho Hernangomez is scheduled to play for the Spanish National team this summer including games on June 28th and July 1st. He may be available for the Nuggets less than a week later but so far, the Nuggets have not commented on his availability.
Denver also owns three picks in the 2018 draft including the 14th overall pick and both the 43d and 58th picks.
This is the first year that the MGM Resorts Las Vegas Summer League will feature all 30 NBA teams. In previous seasons, roughly two-thirds of the league has participated while other teams have elected to participate in other summer league events in Salt Lake City and Orlando. With all 30 teams meeting in one location, fans will get a close look at all of the available prospects around the league.
