Iowa basketball: Tyler Cook finds crowded situation with Denver Nuggets

Former Iowa basketball player Tyler Cook went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, but the NBA dream hasn’t ended yet. He signed a contract with the Nuggets.

Tyler Cook’s NBA career is off to the best start imaginable considering he wasn’t drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft. As we outlined though, there were still three paths to professional basketball if not drafted, and fortunately for the former Iowa basketball player, he was able to take option #1 when he signed with the Denver Nuggets on a partially guaranteed contract after the draft.

Had he not signed with the Nuggets, Cook might have struggled to land in a spot this year with an NBA team because he is unable to participate in the Las Vegas Summer League due to an ankle injury.

With the Nuggets, Cook is heading to one of the best teams in the NBA’s Western Conference, but he’s also walking into a crowded room of power forwards. Current starter Paul Millsap could be returning, but as of right now he has a significant contract option on the table of $30 million. Behind him is last year’s first-round pick Michael Porter Jr who didn’t see any action in 2018. Tyler Lydon will likely not be returning after averaging just 3.4 points per game in limited minutes.

That’s not even factoring in Trey Lyles or Juan Hernangomez who both averaged just under 20 minutes of playing time last season.

For the former Iowa basketball player, this is going to be a tough lineup to crack, but the Nuggets obviously see something in Cook. He’s tall, athletic and oozing with potential. He just needs to be more consistent and develop a mid-range game to compliment to his back to the basket game.

If Millsap and Lydon are not brought back, that clears up two spots leaving Cook competing with Lyles and Hernangomez for an end of the bench role.

There is a chance he could make this team, but if not, he will likely need to find a home elsewhere as Denver is one of the few teams to not have a G-League team.