Nuggets Sign Gillespie, Huff, And Key To Two-Way Contracts

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (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 will be returning for his second season as a two-way player with the Nuggets and Gold. 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. 

Gillespie will not be the only NCAA champion on the Gold’s 2023-24 roster. Huff and Keys were both on the 2019 NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship team. The 2019 Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 85-77 in overtime. 

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. Huff took home the title of 2023 NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year. 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 the Grand Rapids Gold.

Stay up to date with all things Gold by following the team on social media at @NBAGrandRapids on Twitter and Grand Rapids Gold on Instagram and Facebook.

For media-related inquiries and interview requests, contact Brittney Whitefield at bwhitefield@nbagrandrapids.com or 248-563-8736. For more information on the Grand Rapids Gold, visit www.nbagrandrapids.com.