An HBCU Star Who Went Undrafted Just Earned a Nuggets Summer League Spot

Aaron Nkrumah signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Denver Nuggets a few days ago. Now he’s officially on the team’s Summer League roster for Las Vegas.

That might sound like a small procedural step. But for a guy who started at the Division III level and then became Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year at Tennessee State, it’s a pretty big deal.

Nkrumah went unselected in the 2026 NBA Draft. That surprised some scouts who watched him torch the G League Elite Camp with a 22-point scrimmage — the best performance among HBCU players there. He earned one of five call-ups to the NBA Draft Combine, where his 6-foot-10 wingspan made teams pause and take notes.

Still, no team called his name on draft night.

The Nuggets moved fast after that. They offered the Exhibit 10 deal, which is basically a one-year non-guaranteed contract. It gives Denver flexibility: they can convert it to a two-way deal before the regular season, or they can stash him with their G League affiliate in Grand Rapids. If he stays with the G League team for 60 days, he gets a bonus worth up to $77,500.

But none of that matters if he doesn’t show out in Vegas first.

Nkrumah’s senior year at Tennessee State was legit. He averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game. More importantly, he dragged the Tigers to an OVC Tournament title — their first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 30 years. That run put him on the radar of NBA front offices, even if they didn’t pull the trigger on draft day.

The 6-foot-6 guard is known for his defense first. That’s usually the quickest path to earning minutes for a fringe roster guy. He can guard multiple positions with that length, and he’s got active hands in passing lanes.

Denver’s Summer League runs from July 10 through July 19 in Las Vegas. Nkrumah will share the floor with other young prospects fighting for the same kind of opportunity. The Nuggets have a history of finding contributors late in the process — undrafted guys who grind their way onto the roster.

This is Nkrumah’s shot to be next.

Training camp is already underway in Denver. He heads to Vegas this week with nothing guaranteed beyond a few games in July. But that’s more than most undrafted free agents get.