Reports: Nuggets Agree To Sign Blazers UFA F/C J.J. Hickson To 3-Year Deal

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports on Twitter that the Denver Nuggets have agreed to sign Portland Trail Blazers unrestricted free agent forward/center J.J. Hickson to a three-year contract.

The Denver Nuggets have reached agreement on a three-year, $15 million deal with free agent J.J. Hickson, league sources tell Y! Sports.

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports on Twitter...

JJ Hickson to Nuggets, source confirmed. 3 year deal

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports...

Andy Miller, Hickson's agent, confirmed the deal telling CSNNW.com, "He is going to Denver and we're happy with the situation."

Hickson, 24, averaged 12.7 points and 10.4 rebounds for the Blazers as the starting center last season.

Portland claimed Hickson off of waivers after he was released by the Sacramento Kings in March 2012 and then re-signed himto a one-year, $4 million contract last summer.

The Blazers agreed to trade for Houston Rockets forward Thomas Robinson earlier this summer.

Hickson wasn't expected back in Portland, although he left the door open during his April exit interview.

Future with Blazers: "That's to be determined. All I can do is control what I can control. That's play basketball. Let the front office and my agent handle that part of it. ... It's still to be determined. You never know what happens in the offseason with different trades and things like that. Right now I'm just sitting back, getting ready for the summer and let the cookies crumble where they may."

Want to return? "I definitely want to come back. This is the best season of my career. I think I've thrived in this system and playing under coach Stotts. Why not come back?"

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reported in April that Blazers GM Neil Olshey saw the starting center position as one that needed to be improved.

"For us to make a jump next season, J.J. can't be our starting center,'' Olshey said, referencing the Blazers' 47.4 points allowed in the paint per game, an NBA high. "I'm not saying he can't be part of the roster. But we need to find a starting-caliber center who protects the rim and gets defensive rebounds at a high rate and that has a presence. And we have to do a better job at defending the paint. So you have to ask: Is it likely there is enough minutes to commit the kind of dollars J.J. will command, when clearly there are other positions that need to be upgraded? Probably not.''

PS Thanks to JordanLeDoux in the FanShots.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter