Sure, Kansas City’s Tamar Bates signed 2-way contract with Nuggets. That doesn’t mean he’s a Broncos fan.

LAS VEGAS — Tamar Bates isn’t afraid to stir the pot within Nuggets nation.

He’s not pretending to be someone he’s not. He’s new to Denver, not a lifer. Just because he agreed to a two-way contract with the Nuggets last month doesn’t mean he feels any allegiance to the city’s other sports franchises. Especially the Broncos.

“Yeah, that’s cool. But you’re never going to catch me with a Broncos jersey on,” Bates said when asked about his new surroundings. “I’m in Broncos country, but when the Chiefs come to town, you know what colors I’m gonna have on.”

Bates, 22, is the roster’s third player raised in Kansas City, joining Christian Braun (who is more agnostic toward the AFC West rivalry) and fellow two-wayer Spencer Jones. NBA teams can give out three two-way contracts per season, allowing those three minor-leaguers to appear in regular-season NBA games without counting against the salary cap or 15-man roster. Bates was the first to sign one for Denver this year.

A lefty guard out of Missouri, he went for eight points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals off the bench Thursday in his Summer League debut. As the next week plays out, his productivity will be one of the most important topics to monitor on Denver’s roster. The Nuggets face Minnesota on Saturday (8 p.m. MT) at Cox Pavilion.

“Any little jitters I had, I got them out in that game, and in the second half I settled in a little more, felt a lot more comfortable with the physicality and the pace,” Bates told The Denver Post. “I felt good with what I was able to do. I felt like I made a lot of winning plays. I made a few shots, but I think the thing I’m most proud of is that I didn’t let a missed shot or a turnover affect my communication (and) my intensity.”

Indeed, efficiency was the area he struggled. His 3-for-9 shooting performance notably included only two attempts outside the arc, where the Nuggets should want him to feel comfortable letting it fly more often. In his last season of college, Bates was 39.7% from 3-point range but on limited attempts (3.9 per game). Testing his own ability to find 3s at a higher volume, within the flow of the offense, will be a key developmental step as he strives to be a 3-and-D role player in the NBA.

In the meantime, his leadership has already been identified by Nuggets Summer League coach Andrew Munson. That skill might not apply to Bates next season in Denver, where he’ll be pretty low in the pecking order. But it will be relevant when he’s suiting up for the Nuggets’ G League affiliate team, the Grand Rapids Gold,

“Just in the huddles, he’s always talking,” Munson said. “He’s the loudest guy on the team, in all the right ways.”

Unless you’re a Broncos fan trying to talk football. Bates will gleefully rub it in that Kansas City has dominated the division for most of the last decade — “Everybody had the chance to get Patty, so that’s not my fault,” he said of quarterback Patrick Mahomes — and he has a chip on his shoulder about his hard-earned bragging rights.

“I’m not no fake Chiefs fan,” he said. “… Me, I’ve been with the Chiefs with Matt Cassel, you know what I’m saying? Dwayne Bowe, Jamal Charles, Tamba Hali. I could go on all day.”

Bates’ roots are helping him feel settled a little faster. He’s crossed paths with Braun in AAU basketball, at open pickup runs and at a University of Kansas team camp. His high school team nearly collided with Jones in the Missouri state tournament once. (“They lost when they were supposed to play us,” he said, “but that’s neither here nor there.”) And his alma mater is shared by Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke.

Bates averaged 13.3 points last season while leading Missouri to the NCAA Tournament.