Nuggets hope to have Joffrey Lauvergne in uniform at next NBA SL

French big man Joffrey Lauvergne is having a great season in Serbia with Partizan Belgrade.

The player, selected by the Grizzlies with the 55th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft and whose rights were traded to the Nuggets, is averaging 11.2ppg and 8.8rpg in Euroleague and 11.4ppg and 7.7rpg in Adriatic League.

Per Denver Post, "We thought he'd make a big jump," Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. "We're lucky to see that the jump was so dramatic and he's competing at the highest level and he's doing really well. He's a good player. We really like his intensity. We like his focus. We like that he doesn't take plays off and how tough he is."
And with a nice touch that reaches out to 3-point range, he has the tools to become a nice "stretch-four" for a Nuggets team that could use that kind of versatility in its frontcourt. The Nuggets hope to have the native of France in uniform at summer league this July.
For a team looking to change the equation a bit after the season, certainly in the areas of focus, energy and consistent intensity, Lauvergne's play has been encouraging. He's averaging 11.2 points and a Euroleague-leading 8.8 rebounds for Partizan NIS Belgrade and is generally proving to be one of the better players in the league.