Julian Strawther is making a small change that should be easy for Nuggets fans to spot next season: he’s moving from No. 3 to No. 1.
The Denver guard confirmed the switch after the team reached out to him on social media. Strawther replied, “Nothin too special, wanted a fresh start,” making the number change official heading into his fourth year as a pro.
He also shared a photo from his AAU days with California United, where he previously wore No. 1. So while the move is new for his Nuggets tenure, it’s not an unfamiliar look for him.
Strawther will become the 18th player in Nuggets history to wear No. 1, joining a list that includes Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, J.R. Smith, Chauncey Billups, and Michael Porter Jr. Porter wore the number from 2020 until he was traded in 2025 to the Brooklyn Nets.
The most recent Nugget to use No. 1 was Curtis Jones, who was signed to a two-way deal with Denver this past season before moving on to the Boston Celtics after being signed during Summer League.
For Strawther, the switch also marks a return to a number he wore briefly in his younger days. At Gonzaga, he was known for No. 0 across all three of his college seasons. After Denver selected him in the first round in 2023, he changed to No. 3, the number Nuggets fans have come to associate with him.
Now, as he heads into the 2026-27 NBA campaign, No. 1 is the new look. Strawther’s set to enter what could be an important fourth season, with a bigger bench role expected and the added weight of a contract year.
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