It appears that the Denver Nuggets' first big dip into the free agency market will be for naught, as David Aldridge of NBA.com and TNT reports that the Milwaukee Bucks will match the four-year, $19 million offer that Luc Mbah a Moute signed earlier today.

@daldridgetnt: Source: Bucks will match 4-year, $19 million offer sheet for Luc Mbah a Moute by Nuggets

Mbah a Moute averaged just 6.7 points per game last season, but his true impact was on the defensive end. He proved to be a shutdown on-ball defender for the Bucks and has emerged as one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. This appears to be a big blow for the free agency plans of Denver, as improvement on the defensive end is one of the key themes this offseason. The Nuggets still are looking to resign Arron Afflalo, who played a key role in the playoff run last season following the departure of Carmelo Anthony.

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