Arenas' interest in the Nuggets grew when Denver drafted Anthony last week, according to Arenas' agent, Dan Fegan.

Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah and possibly Miami could be Arenas suitors, too. But drafting Anthony last week could aid Denver's potential pursuit of possibly the NBA's best young point guard.

When Ganon Baker received the good news, he planted a bearhug on Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik.

"He said, 'Take it easy,' " Baker said. "He was afraid I was going to knock him down."

Baker, 30, who played at Duquesne and North Carolina-Wilmington, had a right to be happy. The point guard was one of four hopefuls who survived the Nuggets' open tryout camp Saturday to earn an invitation to their summer camp July 7-12.

More than 200 prospects braved 90-degree heat in the parking lot of the Pepsi Center. Also making it were former Denver East High School and University of Colorado-

Colorado Springs center Kevin Fletcher, 23, former Winthrop point guard Pierre Wooten, 22, and former Eastern Illinois point guard Raymond Taylor, 22.

It could be Miller time in Coors country.

With Gilbert Arenas' salary demands possibly being too high, Andre Miller of the Los Angeles Clippers has emerged as a more viable point guard option for the Denver Nuggets entering the free-agent signing period.

"It's definitely a consideration," Miller said Sunday from his Sacramento, Calif., home about signing this summer with the Nuggets.

Throughout the season, Arenas, named the NBA's Most Improved Player for Golden State, was thought to be at the top of Denver's list. But Miller might prove to be a better bargain.

Dan Fegan, Arenas' agent, is likely to push for a contract with a first- year salary of about $9 million when teams begin negotiating Tuesday with free agents. Teams can't sign players until July 16.

Fegan's thinking apparently is that Arenas, a restricted free agent who can't sign with Golden State for more than the midlevel exception of $4.6 million because of the team's salary-cap situation, could return for one season at that amount. He then could sign a seven-year maximum deal with the Warriors, which would start at about $10 million.

If that were to occur, Arenas would make more in the long run with the Warriors than if he signed with the Nuggets for a first-year salary of $7 million, about all Denver might want to pay.

Nuggets center Marcus Camby has two years left on his contract, but his agent Rick Kaplan said his client would like to stay in Denver longer.

"This is where he wants to play the rest of his career," Kaplan said.

"It has great direction. He's planting roots there. He wants to stay there." ... Kaplan said Camby plans to start a program to award college scholarships in Denver.

It's possible the Denver Nuggets may have landed the best center in the 2003 NBA draft.  

No, not second-round pick Xue Yuyang from the Hong Kong Flying Dragons. Rather, it's a prospect they didn't even spend a draft pick on, Western Kentucky's Chris Marcus.

The 7-foot-1, 325-pounder arrived in Denver on Saturday and plans to spend the summer with the Nuggets, hoping to make the team as a free agent.

Marcus began receiving national notice in 2000 as a freshman in the Sun Belt Conference when he was named to the all-league team and was the defensive player of the year and newcomer of the year. As a sophomore, he led the nation in rebounding, averaging 12.1, and was named Sun Belt player of the year.

There was talk Marcus should have turned pro after his sophomore season, but he decided to stay in school. That's when his basketball career took a turn for the worse. Marcus led the Hilltoppers in scoring (15.9), rebounding (8.9) and (2.6) blocked shots his junior season, including 20.8 points and 9.5 rebounds the last six games. But he also missed two months with a stress fracture in his left foot.

If the Nuggets don't sign Los Angeles Clippers guard-forward Lamar Odom to a contract, at the very least they should consider hiring him as a spokesman.  

The Nuggets haven't been to the NBA playoffs since 1995 and won just 17 games last season. But with the team's current front office and coaching regime, a reputation for a strong work ethic, the recent addition of high draft pick Carmelo Anthony, renovated facilities and salary-cap room in mind, Odom said Denver is a great destination for free agents, himself included.

"The Denver Nuggets are an organization on the rise because there are a lot of moves they can make," Odom said Saturday in a telephone interview. "A lot of teams can't make these moves, but they want to make their teams better. I know (the Nuggets) are going to make their team better.

"It's not only because of the money that they have. It's about where the organization is going. When we went to play the Nuggets (last season), I saw the coaches working out players hard. And this was before the game. So I know what direction they want to go. They want to make their team better. They want to win. I think that's the big difference. If you're a free agent, you can see that and decipher that. And as a free agent, you think you can help their organization because they want to help themselves."

NBA teams can begin negotiating with free agents Tuesday and begin signing them July 16. Odom and fellow Clippers Elton Brand, Michael Olowokandi, Andre Miller and Corey Maggette are free agents and have said they would consider signing with Denver.

There was a long line Saturday morning outside the Pepsi Center, and people weren't waiting for tickets for Cher, Stars on Ice, the Rolling Stones, Jay-Z or Tony Robbins. Rather, it was a chance for Nuggets fans to welcome Carmelo Anthony to Denver.  

The Nuggets selected Anthony on Thursday with the third pick in the NBA draft. While the second annual Nuggets open tryout took place outside the Pepsi Center, fans braved a long line in hot weather to meet the Syracuse star.

"I never thought that line was going to end, and I have no problem with it because I love signing autographs," Anthony said. "They made me feel welcomed and excited. I wish I could have gone on the court and showed them what I can do."

Anthony signed numerous basketballs, pieces of hardwood, newspapers and Sports Illustrated covers. Colorado Springs native Derek Haynes and his 8-year-old son, D.J., were the first in line.

"(Anthony) was hot in college," Haynes said. "I followed him when he was in high school. I'm pretty excited. Real excited. I'm a big fan. He's worth the wait. Plus, I am in front in the shade."

Nuggets free agent Juwan Howard is going to the Los Angeles Lakers, right? No, wait: to his hometown Chicago Bulls? Well, how about the Orlando Magic, Seattle SuperSonics or Detroit Pistons? Hey, what about Denver?  

Howard has heard the rumors and laughed at them, because he said he has no idea where he will land with free agency arriving Tuesday. He hasn't forgotten about Denver.

"Honestly, I don't know what they're talking about," Howard told The Denver Post on Saturday. "I'm not locked to go to either (the Lakers or Bulls). I don't know where they get these rumors. But I haven't spoken to (the Lakers or Bulls), and I'll wait and see on July 1 about who would like to have me on their team next season. And that's Denver included."

Howard averaged team highs of 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and a career-best 80.3 free- throw percentage last season.

Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe has said the club has interest in re-signing Howard. Both also have interest elsewhere.

Pressure is the lump in the throat caused by carrying an $18 million wad of somebody else's money in your pocket. Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe better not blow it. To fix the worst team in the NBA, he gets one chance and no excuses.

"We only get one swing at this," said Vandeweghe, given a rich allowance by franchise owner Stan Kroenke to splurge on free-agent players expected to turn the Nuggets from a league-wide joke to a serious contender. "A general manager gets to spend $18 million ineffectively only once in his career. So we've got to do it right."

So where do the Nuggets start? The answer might surprise you.

The No. 1 candidate on the list of Denver free agents should be a true NBA giant who owns an Olympic gold medal, has been honored as an all-star seven times and did not play a single second of basketball last season.

On the first minute of the first day of July, at the first instant Tuesday when Vandeweghe can woo free agents, the first place he needs to be is face-to-face with Alonzo Mourning, the 33-year-old center of the Miami Heat.

The Denver Nuggets' season begins Tuesday.

The 82-game schedule completed in April? Just a way to pass the time until the start of the free-agent negotiating period, which will open with Denver having more salary-cap space ($18 million) than regular-season victories (17).

General manager Kiki Vandeweghe intends to pursue aggressively the team's two main objectives: bolstering the backcourt, which figures to include a run at Warriors restricted free-agent point guard Gilbert Arenas; and acquiring a big man to team with Nene Hilario, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and first-round draft pick Carmelo Anthony.

"We're going after it, like we do everything," Vandeweghe told the Rocky Mountain News. "We're not going to be afraid to go after all the big free agents and take a swing at it."

Whether a team that has not made the playoffs since 1995 can hit a home run is one of the most intriguing story lines of the offseason, especially with young marquee names such as point guard Andre Miller, power forwards Jermaine O'Neal and Elton Brand and center Michael Olowokandi on the market. (Clippers swingman Corey Maggette, 23, a restricted free agent, has said the Nuggets are his first option.)