The Nuggets have spent the summer changing the shape of their roster, and the most obvious shift is athleticism. Cam Whitmore’s arrival last week made that point hard to miss. It also sharpened the way Denver can weaponize Nikola Jokic’s greatest gift: those surgical passes that turn simple cuts into easy points at the rim.
Jokic does a little bit of everything, but his rim creation stands out even more when the pieces around him can actually finish. Last season, on one of the least athletic lineups in the NBA, he still tied for the league lead in rim assists at 4.9 per game with Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons. A rim assist counts as a pass that leads to a dunk, layup, alley-oop or other finish at the basket, and Jokic has long shown how dangerous he can be when the right targets are on the floor with him.
Christian Braun and Russell Westbrook were both strong at making off-ball attacks to the rim in 2024-25, and Denver now has even more cutters and slashers than it did a year ago. That should push Jokic’s rim-assist number higher and make it a bigger part of the offense, right alongside the three-point game.
Whitmore looks like the cleanest fit for that kind of playmaking. As a two-way player, he brings burst and power, using a quick first step on cuts to create separation before finishing with dunks or easy layups.
He’s a career 53.1% shooter from two-point range, and a lot of that comes from what he does near the basket. Put Jokic in the middle of that action and there’s a real chance that number climbs.
Marvin Bagley III gives Denver another option in those looks. The backup center could see time with Jokic while helping spell Aaron Gordon, and his 6-foot-10 frame gives him the strength and length to finish lobs. Bagley shot 64.1% from two last season and brings plenty of touch around the rim when Jokic finds him on the interior.
Rookie defensive specialist Alpha Diallo fits the same general mold. In the EuroLeague last season, he shot 66.7% at the rim, and his game is built around an explosive first step on backdoor cuts and the strength to power through contact for quick finishes.
The Nuggets have the league’s best passer. They’ve also added more athletes who can turn those passes into the easiest shot in basketball. That combination should give Denver a clear way to squeeze more value out of Jokic in 2026-27.
In Other News...
DeMar DeRozan Could Change How Nuggets Fans View This Offseason
The Nuggets spent much of the offseason boxed in by salary-cap constraints, a reality that has made every move feel more deliberate than splashy. They brought back Tyus Jones and made a cost-conscious trade involving Peyton Watson, the kind of maneuvering that comes with operating above the leagues harshest financial line and trying to keep the books manageable without losing too much on the floor.
Still, the addition of DeMar DeRozan gives this summer a different kind of feel. He brings a proven scoring touch and veteran steadiness to a roster that has needed more reliable offense around Nikola Jokic, and his presence could make the whole offseason look a lot more purposeful in hindsight. For Nuggets fans who expected a quieter summer, the question now is how much this new look can shift the balance, and whether one more experienced shot-maker changes the way the rest of the roster is viewed. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Camp Could Decide Two Crucial Bench Roles
Training camp is setting up as more than a tune-up for Denver, because the Nuggets already know what their core looks like and now have to sort out who can help beyond it. With the starting group largely intact, the real intrigue is on the second unit, where the team needs more reliable production and a couple of roster battles could shape how much depth it actually has when the season opens.
Lonnie Walker IV enters the mix with a real chance to carve out a place if he stands out over the next few weeks, while DaRon Holmes is trying to turn a secure roster spot into meaningful rotation time after returning from injury. For a Nuggets team that has championship expectations but still has to patch together its bench, camp could determine not just who stays, but who matters. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Salvaged A Painful Loss As Cap Pressure Looms
Even amid the frustration of losing Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade, Denver may have quietly improved its long-term flexibility in a meaningful way. John Hollinger of The Athletic praised the Nuggets front office for coming away with Clevelands 2031 first-round pick in the deal, a move that gives Denver another valuable asset to work with as it tries to keep balancing a win-now roster with the realities of an aging payroll.
That matters because the cap picture ahead looks increasingly unforgiving. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranked the Nuggets as having the worst salary cap situation in 2026-27 and beyond, which makes every movable pick and every bit of roster maneuvering more important. For a team trying to stay in the title mix, the difference between having a tradable future first and not having one can shape how aggressive Denver is allowed to be when the next opportunity arrives. [Read more 🡒]