The Denver Nuggets are bringing in a familiar kind of problem for opposing defenses: DeMar DeRozan is headed to Denver on a one-year deal, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
The reported price tag is the veteran minimum, $3.9 million, and the move gives the Nuggets another proven scorer after a summer of roster turnover. Haynes said DeRozan had been in touch with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon in the days before the agreement and was "anxious" to play for a contender. Denver, in his view, offered exactly that chance.
It’s a notable pickup for a Nuggets team that has watched its bench lose a lot of punch. Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas are all gone, and DeRozan arrives as the kind of steady offensive engine who can help keep that second unit from stalling.
DeRozan is set to begin his 18th NBA season with Denver in 2026-27 after two years with the Sacramento Kings. The No. 9 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft hasn’t been an All-Star since 2023, but he’s still been a dependable scorer for most of his career, averaging more than 16 points per game since his second season in the league.
Last season with the Nuggets, DeRozan played in 77 games and put up 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 49.7% from the field and 32.0% from three.
He’s started more than 1,000 games in his career, but in Denver he could be asked to take on a different kind of role. With the Nuggets keeping their five starters intact from last season, DeRozan may be best suited to lead the second unit as a scoring spark off the bench.
There are obvious tradeoffs. His three-point shooting has never been the selling point, and he doesn’t bring much in the way of defensive impact or athletic upside at this stage.
But the Nuggets weren’t shopping for flash here. They needed points, and they found a veteran who can still deliver them.
That’s why this deal stands out on its own. For the money, Denver got a future Hall of Famer, a high-level scorer, and one of the few remaining free agents who can still walk into a bench group and immediately change the temperature. DeRozan may also be in the mix for Sixth Man of the Year if the role breaks the right way.
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