On July 26th, Mike Miller was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Portland Trail Blazers in order for the Cavaliers to create two trade exceptions. Portland then reached a buyout with the veteran, resulting in him becoming an unrestricted free agent.
After clearing waivers Wednesday afternoon, Miller has now signed a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, multiple sources have confirmed.
Miller, who won two championships with the Miami Heat, has also played for the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timeberwolves, and Washington Wizards. In 2000, Miller was selected as the fifth overall pick by the Orlando Magic and went on to win Rookie of the Year, as well as making the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Miller is also a former winner of the Sixth Man of the Year award, having won it back in the 2005-2006 season. His highest scoring year was during the 2006-2007 season where he averaged 18.5 points per outing and played 70 games. In his short stint with the Cavaliers, he played 52 games and started 15 of them in which he averaged 2.1 points and 1.8 boards per game.
In an interview with CBS Sports Nuggets GM Tim Connelly said, “I think we have a unique mix of really young guys, middle-age guys entering their prime, and we’re always looking to be optimistic and aggressive where [we] can identify whether it’s a young guy or a veteran who can make us better'".
Although Miller might not be expected to see a huge chunk of minutes, his sharpshooting talent can still provide a team with a boost. Having him on the floor with Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler can create havoc for teams trying to defend the three-point line.
Every team needs a voice and a leader to help out when times get tough, a guy that can calm guys down and keep them focus. The past few seasons, Denver’s locker room has lacked that veteran presence. Jameer Nelson was signed last season to try help with that problem, and now with the signing of the two-time champion, the locker room can have another veteran voice to improve the team chemistry.