The Denver Nuggets’ frontcourt picture for the 2026-27 season looked like it might take some sorting out, but that fight appears to be fading fast. After only two preseason games and a little more than a week of training camp, the backup big-man rotation is starting to look pretty settled.
Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic were never the question. The uncertainty sat behind them, where there had been some hope that DaRon Holmes could take on a bigger role or that rookie Trevon Brazile could push for backup power forward minutes. Instead, David Adelman and his staff seem to have landed on a different answer.
Right now, the Nuggets look ready to go with Spencer Jones and Marvin Bagley III as the second unit’s frontcourt pair, and this hasn’t really turned into the kind of battle many expected.
Adelman has been openly complimentary of Bagley, and Bagley’s play in the first two preseason games has backed that up. He has averaged 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. The fit is appealing: he brings a versatile scoring option as the backup center and enough athleticism to help on the defensive end.
Jones, meanwhile, looks locked in as the backup power forward even though he has not yet appeared in preseason action. Denver re-signed him to a two-year deal worth nearly $12 million, a clear sign the team trusts what he brings on both ends.
Holmes, by contrast, has been pushed down the pecking order. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn Achilles and then had only a limited chance to make noise last year, appearing in 25 games and averaging 3.7 points and 1.4 rebounds. There was still optimism he could carve out a real role this season, but Bagley’s arrival seems to have crowded him out.
Through two preseason outings, Holmes has averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. He still has time to make his case as the preseason continues, and his ability to play either power forward or center gives him some utility if injuries hit. But at this stage, he looks well behind the players ahead of him.
That leaves Holmes in a deeper reserve role, with Brazile and Zeke Nnaji also sitting toward the end of the bench as extra frontcourt depth. The Nuggets can keep them around for insurance, but none of them appear to be in line for the team’s expected ten-man rotation.
The bigger bench development in Denver has come elsewhere. Tyus Jones, Alpha Diallo, Julian Strawther, and Cam Whitmore are already making their presence felt, and the more active competition now seems to be on the wing, where Diallo, Strawther, and Whitmore are battling for minutes. The frontcourt race, once a possible storyline, has all but disappeared.
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Julian Strawther Is Forcing A Bigger Nuggets Question
Julian Strawther is heading into a season where the Nuggets need more than just flashes from him. With Denver reshuffling its bench and Tim Hardaway Jr. gone in free agency, Strawther is in position to become the kind of reserve scorer the second unit can lean on. He has talked confidently about the progress in his game, and the early signs have been encouraging as the team works through the preseason.
The larger question for Denver is whether Strawther can turn that promise into a steady role when the games start to count. The Nuggets are clearly looking for a sharpshooter to help replace Hardaway Jr.s spacing and punch off the bench, and Strawthers preseason work has only sharpened the conversation around how much more responsibility he can handle. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Head To Denver With A Growing Depth Concern
Chicagos first preseason road test comes with a thin front line and a lot of lineup juggling, as the Bulls head to Denver to open their away slate against a Nuggets group that should offer a much stiffer measuring stick than a typical exhibition opponent. The absences are already shaping the trip, with key rotation pieces expected to sit and Matas Buzelis still uncertain because of an ankle issue, leaving Chicago to sort out how it wants to defend a veteran Denver team that can lean on experience and size.
For the Bulls, the immediate concern is less about the scoreboard than about how many workable combinations they can put on the floor without sacrificing too much at either end. Denvers frontcourt depth can expose shortages quickly, and Chicago may have to get creative in the paint to keep the game manageable, especially if the injury list grows any longer before tipoff. There is also the added wrinkle of former Bull DeMar DeRozan potentially being part of the matchup, which only adds another layer to a preseason game already carrying more personnel questions than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Found A Camp Surprise With Real Defensive Value
Alpha Diallo has been one of the more intriguing training camp developments for Denver, a rookie free agent whose defensive work has stood out enough to draw real attention from the coaching staff. Head coach David Adelman has already signaled that Diallo could fit into important defensive roles, with the Nuggets looking at his athleticism and versatility as a way to add some new tactical options.
There is still a lot to sort out as camp moves forward, but Diallo appears to be pushing himself into the conversation for minutes this season. Denver has been encouraged enough by the early returns to keep experimenting with where he fits best, and his value may end up coming from how quickly he can handle multiple assignments on both ends. [Read more 🡒]