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Report: Braxton Key Agrees to Two-Way Contract to Join Denver Nuggets

After an impressive few games at the NBA Summer League, former Wahoo Braxton Key has signed with the reigning NBA Champions

Matt Newton

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

A few solid performances at the NBA Summer League for the Dallas Mavericks, including an electrifying game-winning dunk in overtime on Wednesday night, has earned former Virginia men's basketball star Braxton Key his latest opportunity in the NBA. According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday night, Key has agreed to terms on a two-way deal to join the reigning NBA Champion Denver Nuggets. 

Since ending his collegiate career at Virginia and going undrafted in 2020, Key has bounced between the NBA and the G League, playing two games with the Philadelphia 76ers and 12 games with the Detroit Pistons, including three games during the 2022-2023 season. Key's two-way contract with the Pistons was ended in December, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent this summer. 

The Dallas Mavericks signed Key to their roster for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he has provided significant value in limited minutes off the bench. In three games, Key has averaged 8.0 points on 44.4% shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in a little over 19 minutes per game. 

Key delivered perhaps the play of the Summer League so far on Wednesday night, coming up with a block on one end and then throwing down a putback dunk on the other end to win the game for the Mavericks in overtime against the Warriors. 

While that clutch highlight certainly helped draw some attention to him, Key's potential as an NBA player mostly comes from his ability to rebound and defend multiple positions at a high level. That's what likely attracted the Denver Nuggets to Key, who will hope to earn a spot on the 15-man roster by the time the season begins in October. 

Braxton Key is the second former Virginia men's basketball player to sign with Denver this offseason, joining Armaan Franklin, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nuggets on June 23rd. 

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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