Missouri's Kleiza ready to contribute for Denver

The surprising first-round draft pick wants to prove wrong those who doubted his talents.

DENVER -- Linas Kleiza acknowledges he has detractors, but the former Missouri star says that won't stop him going all-out to earn a roster spot for his new team.

Kleiza was traded to the Denver Nuggets on a draft-day trade after being chosen in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers. He signed a multiyear contract with the Nuggets on Tuesday.

"I can't think about what I can't control," Kleiza said last week in Denver. "I can control how hard I work in workouts and drills and doing what it takes."

Kleiza, a Lithuanian who played power forward at Missouri, was traded with Ricky Sanchez of Florida's IMG Academy from Portland in exchange for Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack, whom the Nuggets had chosen with their second pick.

Kleiza averaged 16 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Missouri, but played mostly inside, leading to some skepticism about the interest he would generate in the draft.

"I heard the talk and didn't pay any attention to the Internet that said I wouldn't be drafted in the first round," Kleiza said. "All I know is you saw a lot of guys projected by them to go in the first round that went undrafted."

Denver coach George Karl said Kleiza will play inside for the Nuggets but will have to adjust to playing on the wing, too.

"But then, I'm not one that gets caught up with position and labels," Karl said. "When you play with pace and up and down the court, there are not positions, but it's just, 'Play basketball.'"

Kleiza, who was 39-for-136 on 3-pointers at Missouri, said he welcomed that challenge.

North Carolina State guard Julius Hodges, the Nuggets' first choice and the 20th pick overall, also signed a contract on Tuesday.

Karl and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said Kleiza, 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, would be given a chance to make the team but would not talk about his chances.

"We're not in that situation," Karl said. "The draft is just the beginning of reorganizing your roster."

In his freshman year at Missouri, Kleiza's roommate was Josh Kroenke, son of Nuggets owner Stanley Kroenke.

Kleiza, Sanchez and Hodges are playing with the Nuggets' summer league team that began competition Tuesday in Las Vegas.