Brewer trying to settle in with the Nuggets

DALLAS _ Two weeks ago, Corey Brewer was just settling into his new life.

The five-year veteran had worked on his jumpshot, and had recently announced he was engaged to be married to Carolyn Friedrich. Then, before Brewer could say “I do,’ the Dallas Mavericks surprisingly traded him to the Denver Nuggets.

The trade, which occurred on Dec. 13 and also included Rudy Fernandez going to the Nuggets for a second-round draft pick, was nit what Brewer was expecting.

“Yeah, it caught me off-guard,’’ Brewer said. “I wasn’t expecting to go nowhere, but it happens.

“Things happen. It’s a business. It’s the NBA.’’

Brewer said the most difficult part of suddenly being traded was having to get used to a new system in a short period of time.

“It was pretty difficult just because it was in the middle of training camp,’’ Brewer said. “I had already practiced four days with the (Mavs), so I had to go learn a whole new system in four or five days.

“So I tried to get that system out of my head and learn this system. It was pretty difficult, but it is what it is. But it’s a good place, though.’’

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said losing Brewer was a good news, bad news situation for Dallas.

“From a basketball standpoint, it’s tough,’’ Carlisle said. “From a business standpoint, it’s easy.

“Because of the tax money, it’s a $$6 million contract instead of a $3 million contract, so I understood it.’’

With the Mavs stacked at small forward spot with Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom and Vince Carter, minutes for Brewer would have been scarce.

“It’s a good situation to be able to have a chance to play,’’ Brewer said. “Over there you never know what.

“I might have played, I might not have played. Over here, it looks like it’s a good situation for me. I have a chance to get my minutes.’’

Nuggets coach George Karl wasn’t sure what he was going to do before locking up Brewer and Fernandez in the trade.

“We got two guys I think that are NBA players,’’ Karl said, “and that can play 20 minutes in an NBA game any day they want to play, and can give you more.’’

As far as receiving the championship ring he earned with the Mavs last season, Brewer hasn’t had his rung finger sized up yet. Asked how he was going to get a ring if the Mavs don’t know his ring size, Brewer, who won a pair of NCAA championships at Florida in 2006 and ’07, said:

“I’ve got two already. So I can send them the size.’’

-- Dwain Price

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