Summer League notebook: Malik Beasley signs his rookie deal, Mike Miller close to re-signing with Nuggets

Malik Beasley is officially a member of the Denver Nuggets, as he announced on his personal Twitter account this past weekend that he had put ink to his rookie deal.

https://twitter.com/Mbeasy5/status/752720502209130496

Although the exact terms of Beasley’s contract have not been announced, he will sign a four-year contract with team options in years three and four of the deal. First-round draft picks’ salaries over the course of their rookie deals are predetermined by the salary cap and league, and the No. 19 pick is expected to make about 1.36 million in year one and 1.42 million in year two, per RealGM. The Nuggets will then have team options in years three and four of Beasley’s rookie contract.

Beasley isn’t playing at Summer League after offseason surgery to repair a stretch fracture in his right leg. The rookie is fully recovered, but the Nuggets elected to take it slow with the 19-year-old’s rehab so he’s ready for training camp. No. 7 overall pick Jamal Murray should sign his contract while in Las Vegas, while Juancho Hernangomez will wait to sign a deal until it’s decided whether he will stay with the Nuggets or play overseas next season. If Hernangomez plays in Europe next year he would not sign his rookie deal until he comes over to the NBA.

Miller time

Mike Miller, the trusted 36-year-old who spent last season with the Nuggets should be back with the team next season.

“I think we’re going to bring back Mike Miller,” general manager Tim Connelly said on the ESPN broadcast during Denver’s Summer League game against the Miami Heat. “He’s a guy who’s really impacted the locker room.”

Miller was a crucial part of transforming the locker room culture in Denver last season and even stepped in as a crucial inbounder late in games last season.

With Miller, the Nuggets would seemingly have 13 guaranteed contracts heading into next season, leaving JaKarr Sampson, Axel Toupane, and Joffrey Lauvergne who are all on partially guaranteed deals, along with Juancho Hernangomez and Jimmer Fredette to battle it out for two roster spots. I’d expect all of those players to come to training camp with the Nuggets, where I’d personally opt to go with Toupane and Lauvergne on the opening night roster with Hernangomez possibly coming over at some point during the season depending on Denver’s record.