South Carolina Basketball: PJ Dozier signs with Denver Nuggets
By Jacob Elsey
A former South Carolina basketball player has signed a multi-year deal ahead of the NBA season.
Former Gamecock PJ Dozier has signed a multi-year contract with the Denver Nuggets, according to league sources. The guard had previously been on a two-way deal, spending most of his time in the G League with affiliates the Windy City Bulls, Maine Red Claws, and Oklahoma City Blue.
Over his last two seasons in the G League, Dozier has averaged 21.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. He’ll now have a chance to make an impact at the NBA level, as the league gears up for its shortened 2020 season at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida starting this month.
Because of this year’s unique season format and the Coronavirus pandemic, Dozier, along with all other two-way players, actually would’ve been able to contribute as an insurance player. This deal, however, shows that the Nuggets plan for the 6’6” wing to be a part of their future.
Dozier, who was originally picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Boston Celtics, has made 29 appearances at the NBA level, averaging 3.7 points per game. The third-year player made 21 of those 29 appearances last season in Denver prior to the 2019-20 season being shut down. In those 21 games, he averaged 4.1 ppg, going for double figures on three occasions.
Dozier was a Gamecock for two seasons in Columbia, where he played for two of the most productive teams in program history. As a freshman, he was a member of the 2016 squad that won 24 regular season games on its way to the NIT. He’d follow it up by scoring 14 ppg for the 2017 Final Four team as a sophomore before declaring for the NBA draft. Dozier recorded double figures in all five NCAA Tournament matchups.
Check out NuggLove.com for more info on Dozier’s new deal and the effect it will have on the Denver Nuggets.