Nuggets rookies already working out at Colorado’s most iconic venue

Less than 10 days into their Denver Nuggets tenures the team’s new rookies are familiarizing themselves with their new home state.

According to the Nuggets’ Instagram, it appears the just drafted Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson as well as Collin Gillespie were working at Red Rocks on Friday morning. Strawther was selected with pick No. 29 in the NBA Draft last week out of Gonzaga and is expected to be a great shooter who can help the Nuggets at the off-guard or on the wing. Pickett went No. 32 and is an experienced guard from Penn State. And Tyson is a big pure shooter who was picked at No. 37 out of Clemson. Gillespie meanwhile was a Nugget last season but missed the whole year with a broken leg and is expected to be a two-way contract player between the G League and NBA this coming season.

Luckily for the four, the weather in Colorado was cool on Friday making their walk up the Red Rocks stairs—one we all know to be tough no matter who you’re seeing at the iconic concert venue—a little bit easier.

Welcome to the Mile High City, rookies! First test is a hard one. Our guys working out at red rocks this morning! ⛰️ pic.twitter.com/b7CcKnq36b

— Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) June 30, 2023

Friday is a big day for the Nuggets as free agency opens around the NBA. A lot of their offseason hinges on Bruce Brown’s decision to stay in Denver for a discount or leave for a payday. Some of the rookies have a chance to possibly fill in some of Brown’s role down the line if the sixth man leaves but Denver will need to be active in the free-agent market.

The group of rookies is far from the first group of Nuggets to work out in Morrison before a show. Nikola Jokic hit Red Rocks in 2021. Christian Braun and others were out there last summer too. The Red Rocks workout is now famed for the Nuggets, but it still has nothing on the Manitou Incline.

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