With LeBron James no longer looking like a clean path for the Nuggets, Denver may have to pivot to the bargain bin and squeeze value out of what’s left on the free-agent market. That’s not exactly a glamorous lane, but it’s the one the roster situation points to right now.
The Nuggets have 12 players signed, and if both restricted free agents eventually return, they’d still have just one open spot. Add in the fact that cap space is tight, and the focus shifts fast from splashy names to low-cost fits.
That leaves Denver hunting for depth, and especially for help off the bench. Tim Hardaway Jr. has already walked to the Miami Heat, so the Nuggets have a scoring hole to patch.
One name that fits that need is Cam Thomas. He isn’t the same kind of shooter Hardaway Jr. is, but he brings a real scoring punch and could slide into a sixth-man role.
Given how his season went, split between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, he might be available on a bargain deal.
Russell Westbrook is another possibility, even if a reunion feels a little far-fetched after the way things ended following their one season together in 2024-25. Still, there’s enough there to at least consider it.
Westbrook would give Denver guard depth, ball-handling, experience, and maybe some athleticism if he still has it in him for year 19. As a veteran minimum option, he checks a lot of the boxes the Nuggets need behind Jamal Murray, so Denver should at least make the call and see whether he’d be interested in running it back.
Jordan Holiday also fits the kind of low-cost guard the Nuggets could use. He shot nearly 40% from deep last season and can hold his own defensively, which makes him a workable floor spacer and a steady backcourt piece.
At 6-foot and 185 pounds, he’s undersized, but he was a regular part of the Houston Rockets’ playoff rotation last season, and that team still finished with a strong defense. That should give Denver some confidence that he could fit into its own mix.
The wing picture may not be quite as urgent now that the Nuggets addressed that area by signing Alpha Diallo from the EuroLeague earlier last week. Even so, Ochai Agbaji remains a name worth keeping on the radar if Denver wants another defense-first option.
He brings length and some encouraging numbers, and when he was on the floor for the Brooklyn Nets last season, he ranked in the 83rd percentile for points per possession (-3.9) and the 95th percentile for turnover rate (2.6%). That kind of profile could put him in the mix for back-end rotation minutes if the Nuggets decide they want one more body on the wing.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Got Their Final Answer On The Jokic Backup Plan
Jonas Valanciunas next stop is taking shape after a brief and unusual summer stretch in Denver. The veteran center, waived by the Nuggets while he weighed his NBA options, is now headed to a Zalgiris Kaunas roster that already features several players with NBA experience, giving the Lithuanian club a familiar kind of frontcourt credibility as it adds a proven big man.
For Denver, the move closes the book on the idea of Valanciunas as a backup answer behind Nikola Jokic, at least for now. The Nuggets had been trying to manage their roster and salary commitments carefully, and Valanciunas limited playoff role against Minnesota only underscored how little runway there was for the partnership to grow before the sides went separate ways. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Be Running Out Of Time To Keep Peyton Watson
Peyton Watsons rise has put the Nuggets in a familiar spot for a team trying to stay competitive while keeping the books under control. The young forward gave Denver real production last season, showing the kind of two-way value that makes a restricted free agent hard to replace, but also hard to fit if the price keeps climbing.
Because of those cap pressures, Denver is at least open to exploring a sign-and-trade rather than simply trying to match any offer sheet and hope for the best. The Clippers have surfaced as a possible partner in those talks, and while nothing is finalized, the idea underscores how quickly a promising homegrown piece can turn into a roster decision with real payroll consequences. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watsons Future Just Got Pulled Into The Kawhi Leonard Drama
Peyton Watsons future in Denver has suddenly been tied to a deal that has nothing to do with the Nuggets on the surface. The stalled Kawhi Leonard trade between Toronto and the Clippers is now casting a shadow over Watsons restricted free agency, because Los Angeles has interest in the young forward but needs the broader transaction with the Raptors to move forward in the way it wants.
Denver has made clear it is not interested in moving Watson cheaply, and the Clippers have not been eager to meet that price. Watsons breakout season was cut short by hamstring issues, but his value around the league has only grown, which is why the Nuggets were prepared to match outside interest. For now, though, the next step in his market may depend less on Denver than on whether the Raptors-Clippers deal finally gets unstuck. [Read more 🡒]