After adding DeMar DeRozan, the Denver Nuggets look mostly set for the 2026-27 season. The big question now is what they do with their final standard contract before training camp opens later this month.
On paper, Denver already has the kind of core teams dream about, with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and All-Star point guard Jamal Murray steering the ship. But even with that foundation in place, the Nuggets still have one roster decision left to make, and there are really three paths that stand out.
The cleanest answer might be the least exciting one: do nothing. Denver can leave the spot open, and there are reasons that makes sense.
Teams often head into the regular season with an unused slot, and the Nuggets have an especially good case for it because they are the only team in the NBA in the second apron. This season, they are trying to get under that apron and trim their luxury tax bill, and holding the spot open would preserve flexibility for trades while also avoiding the more than $3 million another contract would add to payroll.
If the Nuggets do use that final slot, Lonnie Walker IV looks like the clearest candidate. Denver already has him on a training camp contract, which gives the team the option to convert him to a standard $3.3 million deal for the 2026-27 season if he proves to be the right fit.
Walker’s most recent NBA action came with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024-25, when he put up 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists across 20 games and seven starts. The Nuggets could use another guard, and Walker offers the kind of scoring punch that would make sense in a bench role.
That need at guard is obvious. Murray is the headliner, but behind him Denver is looking at Tyus Jones and two-way KJ Simpson. There is room for another point guard in that mix.
The problem is the market. The remaining free-agent point guards are not exactly piling up, with Gabe Vincent, Cameron Payne, and Nick Smith Jr. among the few recognizable names still out there. If Denver doesn’t add another pure point guard, DeRozan can handle primary ball-handling duties with the second unit and help Jones shoulder the load.
Even so, a late addition at guard still feels like a long shot. The expectation is that the Nuggets open the season with 14 players on standard contracts. The more practical move, though, may be to keep Walker around and see whether he can give the bench some playmaking and scoring, while easing pressure on Tyus Jones and Julian Strawther.
If Denver decides against that, the open roster spot remains the next-best route. It would keep the Nuggets nimble as the season unfolds and give them their best shot at getting below the second apron.
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The catch is that the Lakers cannot just add another veteran and move on as if nothing else changes. Creating room for Brown could mean parting with a current player, which is where the decision starts getting tricky for a team already balancing fit, depth and long-term planning. And with multiple playoff-caliber contenders in the mix, Los Angeles may have to act quickly if it wants to keep Brown from becoming someone elses useful late-summer addition. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Still Have One Roster Concern They Can't Ignore
Training camp is still ahead, but the Nuggets already have a pretty clear look at where their roster feels thin. Denver has 14 players on standard contracts and both two-way spots filled, so there is room to make at least one more move before the season starts. The biggest concern remains the backcourt, where Jamal Murray and Christian Braun sit atop the depth chart and the options behind them have not exactly inspired confidence.
Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther and KJ Simpson give Denver some support, but the Nuggets could use another proven guard to steady the group over a long season. Lonnie Walker IV is one name worth watching as a low-risk addition, especially with the team still sorting out how to replace the contributions Peyton Watson provided on his two-way deal. Braun is expected to take on a bigger role after a down year, but Denver may not want to lean too heavily on that hope alone. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Have One Edge The Rest Of The NBA Cant Match
The Nuggets have spent the offseason leaning into one of the few advantages no opponent can really copy: altitude. With training camp set to open Sept. 29, veterans Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun got in a demanding workout at Red Rocks, a setting that has long served as a reminder of what Denver asks its players to handle before the season even begins.
For a team that has already shown it can punish defenses in transition, the obvious next step is to turn that natural edge into more pace and more pressure over the course of a game. Denvers speed on the break helped define parts of last season, and if the Nuggets can keep pushing the tempo while opponents are still trying to catch their breath, that could become another weapon in a conference that already has plenty to worry about. [Read more 🡒]