1999–2000 Denver Nuggets season

The 1999–2000 Denver Nuggets season was the 24th season for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association, and their 33rd season as a franchise. It was also the team's first season playing at their new arena, the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets had the 18th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected small forward James Posey out of Xavier University. During the off-season, the team acquired Ron Mercer and Popeye Jones from the Boston Celtics, and signed free agent George McCloud. Former Nuggets coach Dan Issel returned as head coach in his second stint with the team.

Under Issel, and with the addition of Mercer, McCloud and Posey, the Nuggets played above .500 in winning percentage with a 17–15 record to start the regular season. However, the team soon struggled and fell below .500, posting a six-game losing streak in January afterwards, and holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the Nuggets traded Mercer and Chauncey Billups, who only played just 13 games due to a sprained ankle and a shoulder injury, and Johnny Taylor to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and Chris Gatling; however, Billups never played for the Magic, because of his shoulder injury. The team posted a seven-game losing streak in March, as Bryant Stith was out due to a leg injury after 45 games. The Nuggets managed to win their final four games of the season, and finished in fifth place in the Midwest Division with a 35–47 record, missing the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.

Antonio McDyess averaged 19.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, while Nick Van Exel averaged 16.1 points and 9.0 assists per game, and led the Nuggets with 133 three-point field goals, and second-year star Raef LaFrentz provided the team with 12.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. In addition, Gatling provided with 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 40 games after the trade, while McCloud contributed 10.1 points per game and 107 three-point field goals off the bench, and Abdul-Wahad contributed 8.9 points per game in 15 games. Meanwhile, second-year center Keon Clark averaged 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Posey provided with 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Stith contributed 5.6 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, LaFrentz and Posey were both selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as LaFrentz was a member of the Sophomores team, while Posey was a member of the Rookies team. LaFrentz scored 11 points along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks, despite the Sophomores losing to the Rookies in overtime, 92–83.

The Nuggets finished 18th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 637,698 at the Pepsi Center during the regular season. Following the season, Stith and second-round draft pick Chris Herren were both traded to the Boston Celtics, while Gatling was traded back to his former team, the Miami Heat, who then sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade, Jones was dealt to the Washington Wizards, and Cory Alexander signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic.