DENVER — Michael Malone's plea to Bruce Brown at the Denver Nuggets' NBA championship celebration at Civic Center Park was very entertaining, but it also didn't work.
The Nuggets Sixth Man of the Year went and got his bag, signing a two-year, $45 million dollar deal with the Indiana Pacers -- a deal worth about three times more than what the Nuggets could've offered him.
So I don't blame 'Brucey B' one bit for bolting to basketball country, Hoosier style.
Brown earned every penny this year. Other than health, I think he was missing piece to turning this team into a legit contender. He gave them a guard to take the load off of Jamal Murray when he was rehabbing back from his ACL injury.
Brown also played off of Murray so well and don't forget: He instilled a special mindset into this team, a toughness that is hard to find but goes a long way.
But for a guy who made about $15 million over his entire career, it was pretty much a no brainer. How could you be mad at him? He didn't go to the Los Angeles Lakers or the Phoenix Suns. He went to the Eastern Conference and has a chance to enhance his career.
All eyes now shift to general manager Calvin Booth. With losing Brown and Jeff Green, Booth's draft this year and his 2022 first-round pick of Peyton Watson should and will be under an even tough microscope than one maybe originally thought.
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