When Gabe McGlothan left Grand Canyon, the program was in a better state than when he arrived, and the Lopes extended the same hospitality to him upon his joining the Denver Nuggets.
Exhibit 10 contracts are NBA agreements that can be changed into two-way contracts prior to the start of the regular season in October. McGlothan and the Nuggets reached an agreement on conditions for this arrangement. The G League rights to McGlothan will belong to Denver.
“It’s super exciting to be in a situation like this that you dream of as a kid,” said McGlothan, who started 100 games at GCU. “To look at the path that you’ve been going down to end up where we’re at, it’s a major thank you to everyone that’s been involved – the coaches from Basha (High School) to Putnam Science (Academy) to West Point Prep to SEMO (Southeast Missouri) to the crazy ride that was GCU. It’s cool to see that process end up right here.”
McGlothan, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound power forward, will report next weekend for the Nuggets’ NBA Summer League team preparation. Denver’s entry in the 30-team league will play televised games at UNLV on July 12, 14, 16 and 18 and one or two more dates to be determined. The All-WAC and all-district first-team honoree participated in on-site workouts for seven NBA teams with the help of his agent, Neal Rosenshein. But the June 11 workout in Denver proved fateful and impactful for the native of Gilbert, Arizona.
“The Nuggets’ culture is something special,” McGlothan said. “It’s super exciting when you walk in the gym for your workout and their guys are already there working out. They have a culture of work and doing it the right way. I’m excited to be part of that and to see how we can grow and flourish in that one day. After arriving at GCU, McGlothan redshirted the 2019–20 season. Under head coach Bryce Drew, he played in four seasons with a combined record of 94–32 and three trips to the NCAA tournament. He averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 40% 3-point shooting in his last season, which helped lead GCU to a 30-5 record and the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I tournament triumph.
“Every single moment led to this,” McGlothan said. “Every game, every night I spent in the gym, every morning I woke up early to get in the gym has all prepared me and built to this. It’s a blessing.
“I’m thankful for GCU to give me a home to grow and provide me with the ability to have this opportunity. It’s been really cool to represent GCU and continued to represent it into the future. It’s been awesome from every step and everyone that’s joined along the way.”
Denver’s director of scouting is Dethie Fall, who worked in the GCU men’s basketball program from 2013 to 2017 as a graduate assistant and then the assistant direct of basketball operations and video coordinator. Fall first connected with McGlothan at a GCU basketball camp.
Amid his schedule of NBA workouts this month, McGlothan also accepted an award as the NIL Summit Athlete Advocate of the Year for how he leveraged his NIL to create impact on nonprofit causes. “We are so excited for Gabe to be joining to former world champion Denver Nuggets,” Drew stated. “He deserves this honor because he has worked hard for it. The beginning of many more amazing things to come for him.”
Since 2011, McGlothan has served as a representative for every aspect of GCU, where his mother, Janelle Danley, is employed. His strong religious beliefs aligned with the university’s Christian philosophy, and he achieved academic and athletic success as an engineering graduate, propelling the Lopes to unprecedented heights of success. “My family took care of me and never gave up on me during this entire time during basketball, sacrificing so that I could have a chance,” McGlothan stated. “Grateful to God, my rock. I am so grateful to him.”
