The Denver Nuggets’ training camp deal with Lonnie Walker IV has put Julian Strawther in a spot that feels awfully familiar.
Walker’s arrival naturally raises the question: is Denver actually planning to lean into Strawther as part of the rotation this season, or did Tim Hardaway Jr.’s departure simply open up a competition for those minutes? On paper, Strawther should have the inside track. If he doesn’t, it starts to look like the Nuggets may already be thinking bigger than just this season with him.
That’s a tricky place for Strawther to land, because the evidence from last year says he earned more runway. When he got real opportunities, he delivered.
In 14 starts and 26.5 minutes per start, Strawther put up 14.8 points while shooting 48.4% from the field and 38.5% from three. He can also get downhill, and he was often one of the few Nuggets capable of creating offense by driving to the rim.
For context, Cameron Johnson averaged 12.2 points and Christian Braun averaged 12 points. Strawther’s scoring punch clearly belongs in the conversation.
He also fit well in Denver’s best lineups. In 254 possessions alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Braun, and Johnson, Strawther was part of the team’s sixth-best half-court offense, posting a 14.7 offensive rating.
Offensively, he brings real value. Defensively, he’s not a standout - but the source here is simple: his defense is no worse than Hardaway’s.
Still, Strawther’s biggest problem wasn’t production. It was opportunity. Head coach David Adelman, like former coach Michael Malone before him, leaned on veterans such as Hardaway and Bruce Brown for wing minutes instead of giving Strawther a longer look.
That creates a decision point for Denver. Strawther is extension eligible off his rookie deal until the day the season starts.
If the Nuggets don’t plan to use him, they could try to move him for a second-round pick or two. At 24 years old and with first-round pedigree, he would draw interest.
But the cleaner move is to let him play.
Denver also has a potential defensive answer in Alpha Diallo, who could be paired with Strawther to help cover some of the issues on that end. So the Nuggets have options. The best one is giving Strawther the chance to open the season in the rotation and seeing what he does with it.
If it doesn’t work, then reassess. Trade him later if that’s the call. But handing Walker the job before Strawther gets a real shot would send Denver right back down a path it already knows too well.
In Other News...
Nuggets Still Have One Backcourt Decision That Could Loom Over Camp
The Nuggets have already done some of their offseason housekeeping, but one decision still hangs over camp: what the backcourt is going to look like once the roster is finalized. Denver is sitting on 13 players with traditional contracts after bringing in Lonnie Walker on a training camp deal, leaving just one clear spot to fill as the team sorts through its guard depth and overall rotation fit.
Peyton Watsons restricted free agency remains the bigger unresolved piece, and his status could shape the rest of the puzzle if Denver decides his future needs to be handled as part of a larger move. Beyond that, the club still has to choose whether to use the final opening on a familiar face or another steady option, with Bruce Brown, Aaron Holiday and even a Russell Westbrook reunion all part of the conversation as the Nuggets weigh their next step. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Salary Crunch Could Force A Painful Trade Deadline Decision
The Nuggets have spent much of the offseason trying to thread a difficult financial needle, and the pressure only grows if they bring back restricted free agent Peyton Watson after already re-signing Spencer Jones. Denver is close enough to the NBAs second-apron line that one more move could change the entire complexion of its roster-building, which is why the teams salary picture has become such a significant part of the conversation around the trade deadline.
Marc Stein recently laid out the kinds of names that could enter the discussion if the Nuggets decide they need to trim payroll, with Zeke Nnaji, Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson all floating as possibilities in some form. Each path carries its own complications, and for Denver the challenge is not just finding a trade partner but finding one that makes sense without creating another problem elsewhere on the roster, all while the clock keeps moving toward the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Camp Battle Could Start With One Overlooked Roster Question
The Nuggets are among the 14 NBA teams still carrying at least one open two-way slot, and that makes a small roster wrinkle worth watching as camp approaches. Two-way contracts may not grab headlines the way a rotation battle does, but they can be a useful lever for teams trying to balance development, depth and flexibility over the course of a long season.
For Denver, the question is not just who fills that spot, but how the front office wants to use it under the leagues 2026/27 rules and salary structure. Some expected two-way signings around the league are still tied to roster moves or player decisions, and Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted for eligible players, so the Nuggets have a little room to maneuver before the picture fully clears. [Read more 🡒]