Which free agent picked up by the Denver Nuggets in the 1996-97 season is an All-American at the University of North Carolina, and a two-time NBA Champion with the Houston Rockets?
1996–97 Denver Nuggets season The 1996–97 NBA season was the Nuggets' 21st season in the National Basketball Association, and 30th season as a franchise. In the offseason, the Nuggets acquired Mark Jackson and Ricky Pierce from the Indiana Pacers, and signed free agent Ervin Johnson. However, after a 4–9 start to the season, Bernie Bickerstaff was forced out as head coach and replaced with Dick Motta, where the Nuggets then lost ten straight games along the way. Midway through the season, Jackson was traded back to the Indiana Pacers, while Pierce was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, the Nuggets signed free agent Kenny Smith, who won championships with the Houston Rockets. As the season drew, the Nuggets still struggled losing 26 of their final 30 games, finishing fifth in the Midwest Division with a 21–61 record. Despite playing just 55 games due to a knee injury and a ruptured achilles tendon, LaPhonso Ellis led the team in scoring with a career high of 21.9 points per game.
Deyonta Davis Deyonta Davis (born December 2, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won the Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 2015 and appeared in the McDonald's All-American Boys Game the same year. He played one season of college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans before being drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 31st overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.