The Nuggets finally built a bench that could survive the non-Nikola Jokic minutes. Now they’re watching it come apart in real time.
For years, Denver’s formula was simple: Jokic on the floor, dominance; Jokic off the floor, survival mode. That wasn’t the case last season. According to Databallr, the Nuggets were a net positive with Tim Hardaway Jr. on the court, the same held true for Spencer Jones, and Jonas Valanciunas - despite rarely sharing the floor with Jokic - was basically neutral.
By Nuggets standards, that was a real win. The backup group wasn’t just holding water; it was giving the starters room to breathe.
Valanciunas gave them a steady reserve center. Hardaway Jr. was in the mix for Sixth Man of the Year and brought scoring and shooting.
Spencer Jones turned into a dependable workhorse and one of Denver’s better defenders. Peyton Watson, meanwhile, emerged as the bench’s breakout name.
That’s why the speed of the teardown feels so jarring. Hardaway Jr. has already signed with the Heat.
Valanciunas was waived Thursday for financial relief. Jones is posting about job hunting on LinkedIn.
Watson’s restricted free agency is still hanging in the balance, and there’s a real chance he could be traded to the Clippers at any moment.
The Nuggets have added Marvin Bagley III and brought back Tyus Jones, but neither move screams stability. Jones was waived last season and was available to any team on a minimum. Bagley, meanwhile, is headed to his seventh team in nine NBA seasons after going No. 2 overall to the Kings in 2018.
Bruce Brown is also still out there in free agency. The hope is that he eventually returns on another minimum deal once Denver finishes the rest of its business, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: this bench is headed for a major makeover.
And the financial logic is obvious. The Nuggets are trying to stay below the second apron, and that reality is forcing tough choices.
Even if Watson comes back, the most likely path would push him into the starting five and send either Cam Johnson or Christian Braun out the door. Denver’s front office is working hard to preserve a strong starting unit, but the price is depth, and the bench is getting stripped down to the studs.
Right now, the Nuggets are counting on Julian Strawther, DaRon Holmes, and rookie Trevon Brazile to step into meaningful roles. For a veteran team that was battered by injuries last season, that leaves the roster looking awfully shaky just one week into free agency.
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