The Denver Nuggets reportedly agreed to terms with a well-known guard on the second day of free agency, although he will wear a suit and tie on game days instead of a jersey. According to ESPN, former Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea agreed to join David Adelman’s coaching staff as an assistant, and will be on the front of the Nuggets’ coaching bench.
Barea, 41, played 14 NBA seasons from 2005-19. He spent 11 of those years with the Mavericks, and three with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2010-13. Barea was a part of the 2011 NBA Champion Mavs team that defeated LeBron James and the Miami Heat. The point guard averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds in those six games.
Barea has been in the coaching game for years now. He served as the head coach of Indios de Mayagüez in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional in 2017 after coach Bobby Porrata was fired, and also briefly served as the Mavericks’ player development coach. He returned to the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in 2023 to coach the Mets de Guaynabo.
The Nuggets’ young offseason has otherwise been headlined by a massive trade, as they sent forward Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Cameron Johnson. Denver also brought back 28-year-old Bruce Brown, who was a member of the Nuggets for their 2023 championship.
