Denver, CO
Nuggets decline Jalen Pickett’s team option for 2026-27 season, sources say
The Nuggets are declining Jalen Pickett’s fourth-year team option for the 2026-27 season, releasing him from his contract, league sources told The Denver Post.
Former Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth drafted Pickett with the 32nd overall pick in 2023. The 6-foot-2 reserve combo guard has struggled to break into Denver’s everyday rotation throughout his first three years in the league.
His $2.41 million salary next season would’ve offered the Nuggets a sliver of cap relief, but they chose instead to move on from the former Penn State star. Monday was the deadline to make a decision on his option.
Pickett, 26, averaged 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 16.1 minutes per game last season. He appeared in 50 games, highlighted by a career-high 29-point, seven-assist performance in January to lead the Nuggets in an upset over Philadelphia without their entire starting lineup.
Pickett is shooting 38.7% from the 3-point line on two attempts per game in his first three years. He also boasts a sturdy 3.63 career assist-to-turnover ratio.
But he’s remained a deep bench option under two different head coaches in Denver, from Michael Malone to David Adelman. Booth was fired in April 2025. Then, new co-general managers Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer signed veteran point guard Tyus Jones off the buyout market late last season when the Nuggets wanted ball-handling depth. Jones received playoff minutes over Pickett during their first-round series against the Timberwolves.
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Firefighters say a car crash was the cause of a large fire that broke out north of the Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon.
The Brighton Fire Rescue District says a vehicle was traveling through the area of E. 120th Avenue and N. Watkins Road around 2 p.m. when it crashed. Fortunately, the people inside the vehicle did not suffer serious injuries, but the fire department says the vehicle’s catalytic converter caught the nearby grass on fire.
The 120 Fire quickly grew, and firefighters responded with engines, brush trucks and water tenders to attack it from multiple sides. Multiple agencies responded to assist as the winds continued to push the fire across the grassland.
It covered around 237 acres by the time firefighters brought it under control around 3:30 p.m. BFRD says firefighters continued to put out hotspots and monitor a large cottonwood tree that was smoldering nearly 30 feet up the trunk.
With Independence Day approaching, the fire rescue district shared a reminder that a single spark can ignite a fast-moving grass fire. They added that aerial fireworks are illegal in Brighton and pose a serious fire risk in the current conditions.
Denver, CO
Even without extension talks, Nikola Jokic has reiterated his desire to stay long-term in Denver
Despite the possibility of Nikola Jokic holding off on extension talks for now, per The Stein Line, Jokic has reiterated a desire to stay long-term in Denver in recent talks, league sources told HoopsHype. If Jokic waits until next summer, he’s eligible for an additional year on an extension, which should be noted.
HoopsHype
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