The Denver Nuggets may have found the answer to one of their biggest roster questions by adding Marvin Bagley III.
Bagley, the 6-foot-10 No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, gives Denver a different kind of backup for Nikola Jokic, and that immediately puts Jonas Valanciunas' future in focus. The idea is simple: if Bagley is the solution for the non-Jokic minutes in 2026-27, then the Nuggets can move on from Valanciunas and the eight of the $10 million left on his contract so he can go play in Europe. That looks like the obvious next step.
Denver is still likely to explore a trade first and try to get something back for Valanciunas, but with all of the talk about him returning to his native Lithuania, the market may not be there. If the Nuggets choose to move on, they can save most of the $2 million this season against the cap by "waiving and stretching" Valanciunas's guaranteed portion of his contract over three years. They could also get out from the $8 million by trading or cutting him by July 8th, 2026.
Bagley brings a very different skill set. He’s more athletic than Valanciunas, and at 27, he’s still in his prime and still developing.
He can attack downhill, get to the rim, and finish. In 2025-26, he shot 61.8% from the floor while averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
He also looks like a useful option in the dunker spot.
There’s more to it than just rim-running, too. Bagley can handle pick-and-roll duties, and last season he added a three-point shot, even if he didn’t take many. He made 46.2% of his attempts from deep this season, which at least gives Denver something Valanciunas didn’t provide: the chance to stretch a defense with the second unit.
The defensive side is part of the appeal as well. Bagley has been improving there, and the athletic gap between him and Valanciunas is hard to ignore.
Valanciunas’ defense was putrid at times, and he eventually got pushed aside by the small-ball unit before injuries brought him back. More than once, Denver watched a lead slip away when he checked in.
Bagley also gives the Nuggets some lineup flexibility. He can back up Aaron Gordon at power forward, not just Jokic at center. If Denver got him on the minimum, that could wind up being a major value play, especially if he gives them even decent defense to go with the rest of his game.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Watched Another Major Offseason Target Slip Away
The latest swing in the leagues offseason market may have closed another door for Denver, which had been linked to Jaylen Brown but never had much room to maneuver if a bidding war broke out. Bostons agreement to move Brown, with Paul George and a haul of draft picks going the other way, underscored just how expensive it takes to land a star of that caliber, and why the Nuggets were always going to need more than interest to stay in the race.
For Denver, the bigger theme is still the same: the roster has not been touched in free agency yet, and another target has already gone elsewhere after Tim Hardaway Jr. signed on the open market. The Nuggets have been searching for ways to keep pace at the top of the West, but every missed opportunity only sharpens the pressure on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Just Missed On A Guard They Clearly Needed
The Nuggets were in the mix for another backcourt addition before Anfernee Simons came off the board, a reminder that Denvers need for guard help has been obvious even as the roster has started to take shape elsewhere. The team already addressed the frontcourt with Marvin Bagley, but the work on the perimeter is far from done, especially with the rotation still looking thin behind Jamal Murray.
Denvers interest in Simons was part of a broader search for scoring and shot creation on the wing and at guard, and there are still names left to monitor if the Nuggets keep shopping. Gabe Vincent, Cam Thomas, Brandon Williams, Josh Okogie and Gary Trent Jr. have all been mentioned as possible fits, which gives Denver a few different directions to explore as it tries to build out the depth it still needs. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Jones Just Made Nuggets Fans Watch His Contract Talks Closely
Spencer Jones rise with the Nuggets has turned a quiet winter decision into a contract subplot worth watching. The forward passed on a multi-year guaranteed offer from Denver before settling for a rest-of-season deal in February, and since then he has carved out a role as a versatile piece the team can use in different lineups. For a player who has helped himself by being available and adaptable, the next negotiation now carries a little more weight than it did a few months ago.
Jones is now in talks on a new contract that is expected to be substantially larger than the one he initially turned down, a sign the Nuggets clearly value what he has brought to the roster. It also makes his earlier choice look even bolder, because he chose to bet on his ability to improve his market rather than lock in security when it was first offered. A multi-year deal still appears likely, but the details are where the real interest sits now. [Read more 🡒]