For much of the offseason, the Nuggets’ biggest lingering question has been simple: what do they really have behind Jamal Murray?
Tyus Jones has held that backup spot, and he has looked steady enough in preseason. In 14.6 minutes a night, he has averaged 5.6 assists while committing just 1 turnover per game.
But the scoring pop hasn’t been there. Jones has averaged only 2.2 points on 38.5% shooting, which is why Denver’s point guard depth has stayed under the microscope.
That’s what makes the latest Kevin Porter Jr. note worth paying attention to. On his latest briefing about NBA news and rumors, Jake Fischer said that "Kevin Porter Jr. had interest from Denver before he was waived."
The wording matters. The interest itself says the Nuggets were at least weighing a different answer at backup point guard.
And the part about " before" suggests any move now would probably need another transaction first to make the money work.
On the floor, Porter would bring something Jones simply doesn’t offer: offense. Porter averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 assists in 33.2 minutes over 38 games and 36 starts for the Bucks in 2025-26. He also turned it over 2.9 times per game, but that comes with the territory for a player running the show and handling the ball as much as he does.
Denver’s interest in Porter also runs straight into the financial reality of the roster. The Nuggets are already the only team above the NBA’s second-apron luxury tax threshold, sitting $3.15 million over. If they signed Porter after he cleared waivers, and if the deal was a veteran minimum, they’d jump to $5.6 million over the line and add roughly $16.5 million in tax penalties.
That kind of number helps explain why Denver may be holding that 15th roster spot open for now. Before Porter was waived, the Nuggets might have been able to work a trade for him and keep their payroll closer to the apron. Now, signing him outright would make the path back under the threshold much tougher unless another move was already lined up.
So the door doesn’t look shut. But for the moment, the Nuggets’ interest in Porter reads like another sign they’re still looking for more at backup point guard.
In Other News...
Nuggets Opener Has An Unexpected Subplot Tied To The Thunder
The Nuggets regular-season opener against the Thunder already had a little extra edge to it, and the injury report has added another layer of intrigue. Denver listed Spencer Jones as questionable because of bilateral hamstring injury management, while Julian Strawther is out with a left knee sprain, leaving the roster with a bit less wing depth heading into a matchup that usually carries plenty of attention anyway.
Jones has been part of the conversation around Denver since the offseason, when his place on the roster became a talking point in its own right. With the Thunder also dealing with multiple unavailable players as they work back from surgeries, the opener still has the feel of a game where the margins matter, and the Nuggets will be watching closely to see how the latest lineup decisions shape up before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Opener Will Put Denvers Shaky New Rotation Under Pressure
The Nuggets are heading into their 2026-27 opener in Oklahoma City with more questions than usual around the back end of the roster, and the timing could not be trickier. Denver has spent the offseason reworking pieces around its core, losing Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown while adding DeMar DeRozan, a veteran scorer who figures to give the second unit a different look as the group settles in.
David Adelman has already signaled that the rotation is still a work in progress, which means the first few games may be as much about sorting roles as chasing a clean result. Denver will need those answers quickly against the Thunder, because early-season experimentation is one thing on paper and another when the opponent is sharp enough to expose every shaky minute. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Already Face A Rotation Concern After Ugly Opening Loss
The Nuggets left their season opener with more than just a loss to sort through. Denver fell to the Thunder 96-84, and the offense never found much rhythm in a game that quickly turned messy, with 22 turnovers feeding 21 Oklahoma City points. For a team that expected to lean on its top-end talent and stable rotation, the night turned into an early reminder of how thin the margin can be when the execution slips.
Cam Johnson also left with an ankle injury and did not return, adding another layer of concern to a debut that already felt out of sync. Denver had enough issues across the board without losing another piece, and the timing is especially tricky with the season just getting started. The bigger question now is how the Nuggets will piece together their rotation if the opening night setbacks linger beyond one rough result. [Read more 🡒]