Tskitishvili expected to make debut today
By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Sports Writer
 Saturday,
July 20, 2002 - SALT LAKE CITY - The Denver Nuggets expect Nikoloz
Tskitishvili to make his debut in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer
league tonight against the Utah Jazz while fellow rookie teammate
Nene Hilario could be in uniform soon.
Tskitishvili was drafted fifth overall by the Nuggets in the June 26 draft. The 7-foot, 225-pounder has agreed to a buyout with his former club, Benetton Treviso in Italy. The move will cost him $650,000 and the Nuggets $350,000. Tskitishvili has not signed a three-year guaranteed deal worth about $7 million with team options for the fourth and fifth seasons.Nuggets officials said all the agreements as well as the money transfer process for Tskitishvili are in place and it is just a matter of signing the deal and gaining league approval. "It took a long time, I don't know why," Tskitishvili said. "But now that everything is getting finished, I am happy about it. "I'm a little bit nervous. This is the first time I've played in these type of big games with good NBA players and the top rookies. I'm excited." Saturday night's game at Salt Lake Community College will be the Nuggets' Revue opener. The Jazz received a team-high 16 points and six assists from guard DeShawn Stevenson during a 80-75 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night... |