Subscribe
Follow Us
The Denver Nuggets have officially announced that they will decline the third-year option of power forward Tyler Lydon, according to a report from Mike Singer of The Denver Post. In doing so, Lydon will be eligible to become a free agent next summer.
Nuggets have declined third-year option on Tyler Lydon. Lydon, who is well-liked within the locker room, will be a free agent this summer.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) October 31, 2018
The Utah Jazz selected Lydon, now 22 years of age, with the 24th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, he was later traded to the Nuggets as part of the Donovan Mitchell deal.
Though they've decided to decline his option, Denver president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had high praise for Lydon's game on draft night.
“We think there is such a dearth of two-position guys who can shoot and Lydon has a rare combination of shot-making, size and some rim protection,” Connelly told Brent Axe of Syracuse.com. “He’s a tireless worker and I think he’s willing to mix it up. He’ll be thrown into the fire in the summer league.”
In terms of finances, Lydon would have made $2,190,720 for the 2019-20 season. The Nuggets can still re-sign the New York native, but they won't be allowed to exceed the value of his option in the first year of any new deal.
Lydon suffered a left knee injury while playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers back in January, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season. He has played in just two games with the Nuggets this season, scoring one field goal.
The Nuggets will be back in action on Thursday night, when they'll travel to Cleveland for a matchup against the Cavaliers. Tip-off inside Quicken Loans Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
