Denver Nuggets Rumors: Former NBA First Round Pick Oleksiy Pecherov Among Three Players To Receive Training Camp Invite

The Denver Nuggets have signed three more players to bring their training camp roster to 19, which is one below the preseason maximum.

Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post is reporting that the Nuggets have agreed to training camp deals with free agents Oleksiy Pecherov, Devin Sweetney, and Matt Janning.

#Nuggets training camp invitees are G/F Devin Sweetney, C Oleksiy Pecherov and G Matt Janning. Camp starts in about three weeks.

— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) September 9, 2015

All three deals are expected to be minimum salary pacts, with little or no guaranteed money.

Pecherov, who is the only one of the three players signed to have NBA experience, was drafted with the No. 18 overall selection by the Washington Wizards in the 2006 draft. He spent two years with the Wizards before being dealt to Minnesota, where he played one season. Overall, Pecherov averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 111 NBA games.

The 29-year old spent last season with the BC Kalev / Cramo (Estonia) where he averaged 15.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc. The 7-foot center appeared in one game for the Nuggets summer league squad, tallying 21 points and hauling in eight caroms in 20 minutes of action against Washington on July 17. He was 6-of-11 from the field and made all three of his shots from the three-point line.

Pecherov has also played in Italy, Ukraine, Spain, and Russia.

Sweetney, 27, has played in six countries since going undrafted out of St. Francis (PA) in 2010, according to the Score. The 6-foot-6 guard/forward played in Switzerland and the Dominican Republic last year, averaging 20 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.21 assists in 19 games. Sweetney was named the Canadian NBL MVP in 2013 after posting 24.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists a game.

Here is the scouting report on Sweetney from Netscouts.

“A strong two-way player, Sweetney has the unique ability to be effective at both ends of the floor at both the SG and SF positions. He is athletic, plays long defensively and can score in a variety of ways. He has a high IQ and lets the game come to him. He has the ability to take over games at times and is a leader on the court. He improved at a shooter since his freshman year at Saint Francis, and although only an average three-point shooter, he is dangerous because he takes and makes the right shots. He has the talent and potential to play in the NBA.”

Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 tweeted that Janning, who is expected to have an opportunity to make the Nuggets 15-man roster due to his shooting prowess, chose the Nuggets over offers from the Atlanta Hawks as well as overseas opportunities.

The 27-year-old shooting guard went undrafted out of Northeastern in 2010. He spent last year at Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball League, where he averaged 10.8 points and knocked down 42 percent of his shots from long distance.

Congrats to Watertown-Mayer's @mjanning23 on signing a camp deal w/ the #Nuggets. Chose them over the Hawks. Also had overseas offers.

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) September 8, 2015

Sweetney, Pecherov, and Janning will be competing with Kostas Papanikolaou and Erick Green for the team’s final roster, as the Nuggets currently have 14 players owning fully guaranteed contracts.

So, which one of the five have the best chance of making the team’s 15-man roster?

Papanikolaou will likely make the team if he is not waived or traded prior to October 7, when his $4.7 million salary becomes fully guaranteed. Green is also guaranteed some money though just $100,000 of his $845,000 2015/16 salary. However, Sweetney may have the best opportunity if Papanikolaou is not kept, since he plays small forward.

[Photo by Doug Pensinger / Getty Images]