Nuggets Sign Former Bucks Guard to Training Camp Deal

The Denver Nuggets have made a new addition to their training camp roster.

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Nuggets have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with James Akinjo.

The Denver Nuggets have signed guard James Akinjo to an Exhibit 10 contract, a league source told @spotrac.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 14, 2025

Akinjo is a smaller, 6-foot-1 guard who's been a part of multiple G League squads since being undrafted in 2022, and was among those on the Milwaukee Bucks training camp roster before the 2024 season tipped off.

During his last season in the G League, alongside Milwaukee's affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, Akinjo averaged 15.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.7 steals, shooting 43.6% from the field in over 37 minutes a night. He's played in 63 total G League games on four different squads since entering the league in 2022.

Before joining the league, Akinjo was a four-year college player who split time with Georgetown, Arizona, and Baylor, where he would spend his final year of eligibility. In his final year at Baylor, Akinjo was selected to Third-Team All-America as a part of the Bears' 2022 Big 10 championship team, averaging 13.5 points and a conference-leading 5.8 assists.

Dec 20, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Westchester Knicks guard James Akinjo (13) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Memphis Hustle at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Following his Exhibit 10 signing, Akinjo will likely be waived from the Nuggets before the regular season begins, and is expected to sign with Denver's G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold upon his release.

The Nuggets have already signed-and-waived multiple names from their training camp roster to move onto their G League roster later this season, including Terrence Hargrove Jr. and Coleman Hawkins, as well as Javante McCoy and Justyn Hamilton. Now, Akinjo is the latest to fill into that list.

The purpose of a sign-and-waive for Akinjo is to allow him to receive an additional roster bonus before reporting to Denver's G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold for the season, joining fresh after his best season yet onboard with the Herd.

The Nuggets will need to finalize their official 18-man roster before their regular season campaign kicks off later next week. They'll have two preseason games on the horizon vs. the Chicago Bulls and the OKC Thunder ahead of taking on their first of 82 on the road vs. the Golden State Warriors.

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