DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have picked up guard Jordan McRae in a trade with Washington, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.In exchange, the Nuggets sent recently acquired guard Shabazz Napier to the Wizards, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced.McRae averaged 12.9 points and 2.8 assists in 29 games for the Wizards this season. The 28-year-old out of Tennessee had surgery on his right ring finger in October. He's recently been dealing with a twisted left ankle.McRae joins a Nuggets team that's off to a 36-16 start and currently sits in third place in the Western Conference. He provides back-court depth behind Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Gary Harris and Monte Morris. Napier didn't play for the Nuggets after being picked up late Tuesday as part of a four-team trade involving Minnesota, Houston, Atlanta and Denver. In that deal, the Nuggets got Napier, Keita Bates-Diop and Noah Vonleh from the Timberwolves, along with Gerald Green and a 2020 first-round pick from the Rockets. The Nuggets sent Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez and Jarred Vanderbilt to Minnesota.___AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was ruled out for the rest of the game against the Charlotte Hornets after leaving late in the first half after rolling his left ankle. Murray tried to contest a 3-point shot by Terry Rozier on Wednesday night and appeared to land on Rozier's foot. Murray instantly grabbed at his ankle as play was stopped. He was helped off the floor by teammates and then placed in a wheelchair once he left the court.Murray had five points and one assist against the Hornets before leaving. He was also dealing with a sore back. Murray is averaging 17.9 points a game this season.The short-handed Nuggets were already without Gary Harris (groin) and Paul Millsap (bruised knee).Reserve Monte Morris figured to get more time with the first unit in Murray's absence.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Things Nikola Jokic needs to improve on in the offseason: "Is there anything?" the Denver Nuggets big man joked.Hard to find many glitches in his game right now.By all measures, Jokic and the youthful Nuggets are ahead of schedule despite the sting of a Game 7 loss at home to Portland in the Western Conference semifinals. No one predicted the Nuggets being the two seed in the West this season. After all, they hadn't even been to the playoffs since 2013.And few projected the meteoric rise of Jokic, the 24-year-old with the awkward gait who sees the game with a point guard's vision. The 7-footer averaged 25.1 points, 13 rebounds and 8.4 assists in his first foray into the postseason."You're supposed to be sad," Jokic said of the season coming to a close. "But at the end of the day we had a good season."Soon, Jokic will head home to Serbia as he turns his focus from hoops to his horses. It's his way of escaping from a Game 7 in which the Nuggets surrendered a 17-point lead to... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nose bloodied, Torrey Craig returned wearing a clear mask.Knocked down later, his Denver Nuggets teammates rushed to his defense.There's no masking the appreciation the Nuggets have for their defensive specialist. Bloodied and bruised, Craig contributed seven points in a 97-90 loss to Portland on Wednesday night as the Trail Blazers tied the Western Conference semifinal series at a game apiece."He fights. He's a fighter," Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said. "Hate to see something like that happen, but for him to come back and be inspiring like he did, it was unbelievable."Craig was going for a rebound early in the second quarter when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of Denver teammate Monte Morris. Craig remained down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel covering his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig returned to the game wearing a clear mask to protect the nose he bloodied in a collision during Game 2 against Portland.Hurt early in the second quarter Wednesday night, Craig made his way onto the court late in the third with the Nuggets struggling. He later hit a 3-pointer.Craig was going for a rebound when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of teammate Monte Morris. Craig was down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel over his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal contusion.Later in the second quarter, Portland forward Maurice Harkless appeared to roll his right ankle. He headed into the locker room.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig left the game after bloodying his nose in a collision during the second quarter of Game 2 against Portland.His return Wednesday night is questionable.Craig was going for a rebound when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of teammate Monte Morris. Craig was down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel over his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal contusion.Later in the second quarter, Portland forward Maurice Harkless appeared to roll his ankle. He headed into the locker room.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The celebration will be short-lived for the Denver Nuggets after winning a playoff series for the first time in a decade.After all, Portland awaits.The Nuggets knocked off San Antonio 90-86 in Game 7 on Saturday night to move on to the Western Conference semifinals.A mere hours after their big win — their first series victory since 2009 — the second-seeded Nuggets host a rested Trail Blazers team. Game 1 is Monday, with Game 2 on Wednesday before shifting to Portland. The Blazers have had a few days off after beating Oklahoma City in five games."I've learned over the years you take your accomplishments and you celebrate them. Tonight, celebrate," Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said. "This is a big accomplishment for this team, big accomplishment for this organization. You've got to celebrate it. A lot of people didn't give us a chance to win."On Sunday afternoon, it's back to the business of basketball. Denver was 3-1 against the Blazers in the regular season."It's the next... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Only one game back on the court and Isaiah Thomas already began lobbying for an even broader role — to appear in the movie "Space Jam 2" starring LeBron James.With filming set to start this summer , the Denver Nuggets point guard wants to be cast as the Muggsy Bogues character from the original picture featuring Michael Jordan.But first, another script to act out: Helping the Nuggets produce a playoff run. With his surgically repaired hip finally healthy after 11 months, it's lights, cameras, and a return to action for Thomas . He sees his part as anything necessary to boost a Nuggets team that's currently No. 2 in the Western Conference thanks to the best start (39-18) in the franchise's NBA history."If you're trying to win, you're going to put your ego aside and your individual things aside and do what's best for this team," said Thomas , whose team returns from the All-Star break Friday in Dallas. "But I can help a lot."There was a glimpse of that when Thomas made his Nuggets... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Isaiah Thomas pronounced his surgically repaired hip as fit as it's ever going to be.His confidence? Now that's as healthy as ever with the point guard making his Denver Nuggets debut Wednesday night."My job is not to fit in. It's to stand out," said Thomas, who entered to a standing ovation late in the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings, the team that picked him in the second round of the 2011 draft. "I'm going to do whatever I can to get minutes on the basketball floor and I'm going to play to win and help this team get to the next level."Thomas' last NBA game was March 22 with the Los Angeles Lakers before undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to fix his troublesome hip. The Nuggets signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason and gave him plenty of space to recover from his operation.He could provide a big boost down the stretch for the surging Nuggets, who are near the top of the Western Conference standings.His minutes, though, could come at the expense of Monte... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Isaiah Thomas pronounced his surgically repaired hip as fit as it's ever going to be.His confidence? Now that's as healthy as ever with the point guard on the verge of his Denver Nuggets debut."My job is not to fit in. It's to stand out," said Thomas, who's looking to play Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings, the team that picked him in the second round of the 2011 draft. "I'm going to do whatever I can to get minutes on the basketball floor and I'm going to play to win and help this team get to the next level."Thomas' last NBA game was March 22 with the Los Angeles Lakers before undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to fix his troublesome hip. The Nuggets signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason and gave him plenty of space to recover from his operation.He could provide a big boost down the stretch for the surging Nuggets, who are near the top of the Western Conference standings.His minutes, though, could come at the expense of Monte Morris and Malik Beasley,... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Isaiah Thomas says his surgically repaired hip has mended enough to allow him to soon make his Denver Nuggets debut.The point guard's first appearance in a Nuggets jersey could be Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings, the team that picked him in the second round of the 2011 draft. Thomas said he will be a game-time decision but feels like he's ready.Thomas, who turned 30 last week, hasn't played in an NBA game since suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers last March.The Nuggets signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason and gave him plenty of space to recover from his hip procedure. His minutes will come at the expense of Monte Morris and Malik Beasley, two guards who have been pleasant surprises for Denver.

DENVER (AP) — Monte Morris restored his long-range jumper to mint condition.The Great Spearmint Gum Wrapper Experiment worked.Last summer, the Denver Nuggets backup point guard went through shooting drills with a wrapper from a stick of gum — mostly spearmint, he said — wedged between his thumb and index finger on his guide hand. It was a way to find a more reliable release.Now, there's no bursting his bubble. Morris is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range for a Nuggets team that's challenging Golden State for the top spot in the Western Conference."I just wanted more consistency," said Morris, whose team plays at Utah on Wednesday as they try to remain unbeaten in the Northwest Division. "It's now second nature."A 2017 second-round pick by Denver, Morris was signed to a two-way contract last season. He spent most of his time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, where he averaged 17.8 points and shot 33 percent from long range. He did play in three games for the Nuggets,... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic considers himself a point guard who just so happens to be trapped in a center's 250-pound frame."I'm telling that to everybody," the Denver Nuggets standout said. "But nobody believes in that except me."It's as good a description as any for the hard-to-label and even harder-to-stop play of the 7-footer nicknamed Joker.He doesn't exactly have the most athletic look or leap out of the gym, but he's elevated the Western Conference-leading Nuggets to new heights this season. Jokic is in line to become Denver's first All-Star since Carmelo Anthony in 2010-11 and is being mentioned in the MVP conversation.Jokic shrugs off all the attention. He's just an unassuming big man doing uncommon things on the court so often it's becoming common."A 7-2 Magic Johnson," Knicks coach David Fizdale said as he over-inflated Jokic's height in comparing him to the Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer. "He's as good of a passer as any guard in the league. He can shoot 3s. But his ball handling... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a multiyear deal with point guard Monte Morris.The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Morris was the 51st pick of the Nuggets in 2017 and spent a bulk of the season playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G League. He averaged 17.8 points and 6.5 assists.Morris recently suited up in four games for the Nuggets in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 assists.The 23-year-old Morris appeared in 140 games while at Iowa State and made the All-Big 12 first-team squad his senior season. Morris had a 5.17 assist-to-turnover ratio in his final season.He will be contending for minutes behind Jamal Murray and the recently signed Isaiah Thomas.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tags/NBAbasketball