[2][3][4][5][6] During the off-season, the team acquired Eric Williams from the Boston Celtics,[7][8][9] acquired Johnny Newman, Joe Wolf, and top draft pick Danny Fortson out of the University of Cincinnati from the Milwaukee Bucks,[2][3][4] first-round draft pick Bobby Jackson out of the University of Minnesota from the Seattle SuperSonics,[10] second-round draft pick Eric Washington out of the University of Alabama from the Orlando Magic,[10] and signed free agent Dean Garrett.
[17] At mid-season, the team signed free agent Cory Alexander, who was previously released by the San Antonio Spurs.
[25][26] After 40 games and a dreadful 23-game losing streak, which was tied with the 1995–96 Vancouver Grizzlies, the Nuggets had a 2–38 record (winning percentage .050), a mark equalled only by the 1993–94 Mavericks.
[36][37][38] Following the season, Ellis signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks,[39][40][41] while Newman re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers,[42] Garrett and Jackson were both traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Battie was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers,[43][44] who then traded him to the Boston Celtics several months later,[45] and Goldwire and Wolf were both released to free agency.
[46] In his 2007 study The NBA from Top to Bottom, basketball enthusiast Kyle Wright argued that in fact the 1997–98 Nuggets were a worse team than the 1972–73 76ers, saying that they played a worse schedule in the Midwest Division than the 1972–73 76ers did in their Atlantic Division where a dominant Boston Celtics team was played seven times by the 76ers.