DENVER, July 18, 2023 – The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Collin Gillespie, center Jay Huff and forward Braxton Key to two-way contracts, General Manager Calvin Booth announced today.
Gillespie, 6-3, 195, appeared in 156 games (125 starts) in five seasons at Villanova University, averaging 11.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 42.2% from the field and 38.7% from three in 29.0 minutes per game. Gillespie earned the 2021-22 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard, helping to guide the Wildcats to the NCAA Final Four after recovering from a knee injury that ended his 2021 season prematurely. He ended his career at Villanova with a National Championship (2018), two Final Four appearances and two Big East Player of the Year awards. The Pennsylvania native went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He spent the 2022-23 season with Denver as a two-way player while rehabbing a right leg fracture.
Huff, 7-1, 240, joins Denver after appearing in seven games for the Washington Wizards during the 2022-23 season, averaging 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting .600 from the field and .500 from three in 13.6 minutes per game. He also appeared in four games for the L.A. Lakers in 2021-22 after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. Huff has appeared in 56 G League games over the last two seasons (all starts), averaging 15.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.70 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game. The big man played four years at Virginia where he was named ACC All-Defensive Team, ACC All-Second Team and AP All-American Honorable Mention as a senior.
Key, 6-8, 225, has appeared in 14 career games over the last two seasons for Detroit and Philadelphia, averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 5.9 minutes per game. He has appeared in 66 career games (18 starts) for the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League, averaging 13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.73 steals and 1.23 blocks in 24.1 minutes. Key spent two years collegiately at Alabama and finished his final two collegiate seasons at Virginia before going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft and spending one season with Vaqueros de Bayamon of the Puerto Rican league (BSN).
Gillespie will continue to wear #21 while Huff will wear #30 and Key will wear #11 while splitting time between the Denver Nuggets and their G League affiliate the Grand Rapids Gold.