The hard work was finally rewarded after Johnson’s junior year, when he skyrocketed by several inches. He took off as a prospect, leading to his stealth commitment to Pitt. He graduated there in three years, then got his master’s degree in sports administration from UNC in two. In basketball, his IQ served him equally well.

The Nuggets must act fast in addressing this urgent roster need amid the uncertainty of the Jonas Valanciunas situation.

However, the Nuggets also traded Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick (2032) to the Brooklyn Nets for the considerably less expensive Cam Johnson, who may actually be a better fit in the Nuggets' starting lineup than Porter was alongside three-time MVP Nikola Jokic .

Obviously want to see him knock down open shots, but try not to force too much,” Nuggets Summer League coach Andrew Munson said of Hunter Tyson. “We want him to still play