Nuggets waive former Division II standout

The Denver Nuggets have begun to trim their roster ahead of the NBA’s league-wide Oct. 15 cut-down deadline.

On Monday, the team waived forward/center Emanuel Terry, a league source told BSN Denver. Terry only appeared in one game for the Nuggets this preseason, logging two minutes in Friday’s matchup against the Perth Wildcats.

Lightly-recruited out of Enterprise, Ala., Terry averaged 17 points, 10.2 rebounds and over two blocks per game during his senior season for Division II Lincoln Memorial University. Last year he was named South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, SAC Defensive Player of the Year, Southeast Region Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American. Terry also won the Bevo Francis Award, which goes to the best player outside of the NCAA Division I. He helped Lincoln Memorial to a 32-2 record last season, their sixth consecutive SAC regular-season title, and also a No. 1 ranking.

The Nuggets plucked Terry for their Summer League roster after the 22-year-old went undrafted. Terry averaged 7.4 points and 5.0 rebound for Denver in Las Vegas and formed a promising chemistry with point guard Monte Morris.

“That high energy,” Nuggets Summer Leauge coach Jordi Fernandez said of Terry. “I think everybody sees it. He’s got that game-changing ability, just rolling hard to the rim to start quarters or after timeouts, he rolled really hard and those plays – maybe you’re down a little bit – just bring you up. And he’s been on-point, that’s what he’s done. He came here with no expectations, just worked hard and he deserved it. I’m happy with him.”

By releasing Terry now, Denver gives him a chance to catch on with another organization. Terry could sign an Exhibit 10 deal with another team, which is a one-year minimum salaried contract that includes individual bonuses if the player is waived before the regular season and signs the team’s G League affiliate. The Nuggets are one of the three NBA franchises without a G League affiliate.

The Nuggets liked the energy Terry brought to their practice floor over the past few months. But with 17 guaranteed contracts on the books for next season along with two two-way deals, the only way Terry could have made Denver’s opening night roster would have been if a spot was freed up due to a trade.