The Nuggets are in the part of roster building where every low-cost swing matters, and Ben Simmons fits that kind of gamble better than his reputation suggests.
Denver is already set to bring in Lonnie Walker IV for a training camp tryout, and Simmons should be next in line for an invite. According to Marc J.
Spears, several NBA teams have shown interest in Simmons’ camp, including one West squad that offered a training camp invite. Spears also reported that Simmons is open to signing a vet minimum contract, and that he has dreams of playing for Australia during 2028 LA Olympics.
Attending mini-camp aids hope
That price range puts him squarely in the Nuggets’ lane. If the former first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft still has something left, Denver ought to find out for itself.
The case starts with defense. Simmons was once an All-NBA Defensive First Team selection, and even if that version of him is long gone, the tools that made him dangerous on that end have not completely disappeared. If the reports about him “regaining his athleticism” are real, then his size, versatility and ability to guard multiple spots could give Denver something useful.
There’s also the way he could fit alongside what the Nuggets already have. Tyus Jones is the backup point guard right now, and on offense Simmons may not offer a massive upgrade.
But defensively, he would be a clear step up if his legs are back under him. He could handle wing matchups or even spend time on the four, while the quicker, EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year and new rookie Nugget Alpha Diallo takes on the duty of defending one of the opposing guards.
Simmons still brings playmaking too. He may not have Jones’ elite ball control, but he’s a solid distributor and owns a career 7.2 assists-per-game average. With his size and ability to play the four, he could also give Aaron Gordon a breather and help manage those minutes before the games start to matter in April.
This isn’t an argument to sign Simmons blindly. It’s an argument to do what Denver is already doing with Walker: bring him in, look at him up close, and see whether there’s real basketball left in there. If there is, the Nuggets would be getting a low-risk chance at a defensive boost for the veteran minimum.
In Other News...
Nuggets And Peyton Watson Are Drifting Toward A Tough Roster Call
Peyton Watsons restricted free agency has settled into the sort of stand-off the Nuggets were hoping to avoid. Denver has put a four-year, $70 million proposal on the table with a team option in the final season, but the talks have not moved much beyond that point as the sides work through value and role in a tighter financial picture for the franchise.
Watsons camp is believed to be targeting a higher annual number, and that gap has left sign-and-trade possibilities in play if a deal cannot be bridged. Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Clippers have all been floated as possible landing spots, while the Nuggets also have to weigh the risk of Watson simply playing on his qualifying offer if the market never gives either side a clean exit. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Has Become A Real Nuggets Flashpoint This Summer
Peyton Watson has gone from promising young piece to summer conversation starter for the Nuggets, and the reason is simple enough: Denver wants to keep him, but the business of restricted free agency has turned the situation into a real test of how much both sides can live with. The Nuggets are working through contract talks with a player whose growth has made him part of the franchises longer-term plans, even as the team continues to navigate the kind of financial pressures that come with building around a contending core.
The wrinkle is that this has not stayed a Denver-only issue. Interest has surfaced from several teams around the league, with the Clippers, Hawks, Bucks and Cavaliers among those linked to a possible sign-and-trade path, which only adds more moving parts to an already delicate negotiation. For now, Watsons future remains unsettled, with the qualifying offer still on the table and the possibility of a longer agreement hanging over the rest of the offseason as training camp gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Just Put The Nuggets In A Tough Offseason Spot
Denvers offseason has already been boxed in by the hard realities of the second apron, and the front office is operating with almost no margin for error. The Nuggets have made only one signing so far, and with a projected luxury tax bill hanging over everything, keeping young talent in place has become harder than usual, especially when the player in question has real league-wide value.
Peyton Watson is now the clearest example of that squeeze. Denver would like to keep the restricted free agent picture from getting messier, but his market has started to form beyond Colorado, with sign-and-trade chatter beginning to frame the next step. For the Nuggets, the challenge is not just finding a path to hold onto him, but navigating an offseason where every move has to fit both the cap sheet and whatever return another team is willing to put on the table. [Read more 🡒]