The Denver Nuggets lost some familiar pieces this offseason, and the departure that stings most for their second unit may be Peyton Watson. But Denver may have found a way to steady the bench almost immediately, signing six-time All-Star wing DeMar DeRozan just days after Watson landed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
DeRozan comes with the usual questions. He’s 37, he doesn’t bring much from deep, and his defense has long been a talking point.
Still, the fit in Denver is easy to see: scoring, playmaking, and a veteran who can organize the offense when the starters sit. That’s exactly the kind of lift a bench group can use.
FanDuel Sportsbook has already weighed in on the possibility that DeRozan’s new role could turn into award buzz. In the 2026-27 NBA Sixth Man of the Year race, he checks in fifth on the board at +1800, or 18/1. He’s not the favorite, but he’s in the mix.
The move also marks a major shift in how DeRozan will be used. This will be the first time he comes off the bench since his rookie year with the Toronto Raptors in 2009-10, and he has started 1,199 straight regular season games since then. That kind of streak ending doesn’t happen quietly, but it may be the exact reset that fits this stage of his career.
The minutes matter here too. Last season with the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan put up 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 31.2 minutes per game.
Sixth Man of the Year winners usually live somewhere in the 23-to-32-minute range, but the expectation is that DeRozan lands closer to the lower end. If he’s around 26-28 minutes a night, he could still make plenty of noise.
If he were to win the award, he’d set a new age record. Jamal Crawford was 36 when he won Sixth Man of the Year in 2015-16, and DeRozan would top that mark.
What makes him such a real candidate is that Denver knows exactly what it’s getting. DeRozan would be the primary ball-handler for the second unit, the main scoring option, and possibly a closing-time weapon in certain games when the Nuggets need another bucket. He also finished top-three in Clutch Player of the Year voting in two of the last four seasons.
That’s the case for DeRozan in Denver: not a fallback, but a featured weapon in a role built to suit him. He won’t be asked to blend into the background.
He’ll be asked to carry the bench. And if he does that well enough, the Sixth Man conversation could get very real by season’s end.
In Other News...
Bruce Brown Market Buzz Just Shifted In A Way Nuggets Fans Know
Bruce Browns market is starting to sort itself out, and for Nuggets fans, the shape of it feels familiar. The Lakers are still carrying one more player than the league limit while trying to improve through trades and free-agent signings, and Brown is among the names on their board as they look for help. He is also drawing interest from the Cavaliers, Heat and Knicks, which keeps the veteran guard in the middle of a crowded summer market.
The latest chatter, though, points in a direction Lakers fans may not love, and Denver followers know how this kind of chase can change quickly. The Lakers have already missed on other free agents recently, while Browns appeal as a versatile role player has made him a target for multiple teams. For now, the race around him is still open, but the list of realistic landing spots appears to be narrowing in a way that could matter for a former Nugget. [Read more 🡒]
Luka Doncic Just Raised The Stakes For His Lakers Future
Luka Doncics offseason is already drawing attention for reasons that go beyond the usual summer workout chatter. He has tightened up his conditioning ahead of the upcoming NBA season, earned praise from Dirk Nowitzki and recently welcomed his Lakers teammates to Slovenia for a bonding trip and training camp, a sign that Los Angeles is trying to build around him early and often.
Still, the bigger question hangs over the long view of his time with the Lakers. There has been plenty of speculation about where Doncics future ultimately leads, and while nothing has materialized in the way of a transaction, the discussion around his next chapter has only grown louder as teams keep an eye on the possibilities if he ever becomes available. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Could Land The Versatile Veteran Their Bench Still Needs
The Knicks are still sorting out the edges of their roster, and Bruce Brown has emerged as a name to watch while they work through those final spots. The veteran guard has built a reputation around versatility, with the kind of across-the-board usefulness that makes him attractive to contenders looking for extra help on the bench.
Several playoff teams have taken a look, including the Lakers, Cavaliers and Heat, but Brown remains one of the more practical options for New York if the market breaks his way. There has been no official signing yet, so the Knicks are still in the mix rather than locked in, leaving this as one of the more notable late-summer decisions to track. [Read more 🡒]