The Denver Nuggets still have one more roster decision hanging over their offseason, and it may end up being the last move they make before camp.
The biggest question remains Peyton Watson. Denver has to decide whether the restricted free agent is coming back on a new deal or getting pulled into a sign-and-trade.
But even after that situation gets sorted out, the Nuggets may still have room for one more addition. As things stand, the roster already includes 13 players on standard contracts, and the team also brought in Lonnie Walker on a training camp deal, where he’ll have to win a spot rather than arriving with guaranteed money.
That leaves Denver with a possible opening for one more minimum contract if the front office wants to take the roster all the way to 15. The catch, of course, is that this is the part of the offseason where the market gets thin. By mid-August, the pool of available players who can help right away and are willing to sign for the minimum is not exactly overflowing.
If the Nuggets do use that final spot, the cleanest place to look is probably the backcourt. Right now, Denver’s depth behind Jamal Murray consists of Tyus Jones and not much else, which makes guard insurance an obvious need.
There are a few names that could fit. Bruce Brown is one possible reunion on a cheap deal.
Aaron Holiday is another budget-minded option, someone who can defend and knock down shots. Russell Westbrook is also in the mix as a theoretical fit, though a return to Denver feels shaky considering the way his exit played out earlier last year.
If you’re choosing one of those possibilities strictly on paper, Westbrook stands out the most. But Holiday may be the more realistic target, even if Denver would have to bring him in on a similar training camp arrangement to the one Walker got.
However it plays out, the need is clear: the Nuggets could use another lead guard behind Murray. Denver has elite table-setting with Murray and Nikola Jokic, but a team with Finals aspirations still needs more depth in the backcourt to keep the bench steady.
In Other News...
Nuggets Salary Crunch Could Force A Painful Trade Deadline Decision
The Nuggets have spent much of the offseason trying to thread a difficult financial needle, and the pressure only grows if they bring back restricted free agent Peyton Watson after already re-signing Spencer Jones. Denver is close enough to the NBAs second-apron line that one more move could change the entire complexion of its roster-building, which is why the teams salary picture has become such a significant part of the conversation around the trade deadline.
Marc Stein recently laid out the kinds of names that could enter the discussion if the Nuggets decide they need to trim payroll, with Zeke Nnaji, Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson all floating as possibilities in some form. Each path carries its own complications, and for Denver the challenge is not just finding a trade partner but finding one that makes sense without creating another problem elsewhere on the roster, all while the clock keeps moving toward the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Camp Battle Could Start With One Overlooked Roster Question
The Nuggets are among the 14 NBA teams still carrying at least one open two-way slot, and that makes a small roster wrinkle worth watching as camp approaches. Two-way contracts may not grab headlines the way a rotation battle does, but they can be a useful lever for teams trying to balance development, depth and flexibility over the course of a long season.
For Denver, the question is not just who fills that spot, but how the front office wants to use it under the leagues 2026/27 rules and salary structure. Some expected two-way signings around the league are still tied to roster moves or player decisions, and Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted for eligible players, so the Nuggets have a little room to maneuver before the picture fully clears. [Read more 🡒]