The Nuggets already lost Peyton Watson, and that alone changed the shape of the wing picture in Denver. Watson’s four-year, $88 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers took away Denver’s best perimeter defender and left a clear gap heading into 2026-27.
That matters even more now that DeMar DeRozan is in the mix. Chris Haynes reported that DeRozan intended to sign with the Nuggets, and he ultimately agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million veteran-minimum deal after spending more than a month in free agency following his July exit from the Sacramento Kings. The 37-year-old still brought real production last season, finishing with 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 77 games.
But the fit comes with a warning label. A lineup with Jamal Murray, DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic can get exposed on the defensive end, especially after Watson’s departure.
Christian Braun is now Denver’s top perimeter defender, but he’s coming off a disappointing postseason and is set to make $21.6 million next season. That leaves the Nuggets needing another wing who can handle tough matchups and help on the ball before the roster tilts too far toward offense.
Justin Champagnie is one name that makes sense. He is owed just $2.7 million next season and is coming off a useful year with the Wizards, where he posted 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 69 games while shooting 50.2% from the field. The 3-point shot was only 31.9%, but he did shoot 38.3% from deep the year before, so there is some evidence he can make open looks.
The defensive profile is where he starts to stand out for Denver. Champagnie finished in the 96th percentile in defensive versatility, 67th percentile in deflections, and 69th percentile in block rate. His overall DPM was only in the 36th percentile, so he’s not being sold as a shutdown defender, but he does give the Nuggets another 6-foot-6 body who can take on different wing assignments and rebound.
The money also works. Zeke Nnaji is set to make $7.5 million next season, so a trade built around him for Champagnie would trim about $4.8 million from Denver’s payroll while adding a player at a position of need. Washington would also get a 2031 second-round pick via the Kings, and Denver just added more draft capital in the Watson deal anyway.
Ochai Agbaji is the biggest shooting question mark of the group, but he has the kind of size and defensive track record Denver should be looking at. The Nets declined to give him a qualifying offer this summer, which left the 26-year-old on the market after he finished last season with 5.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 62 games. He shot 43.6% from the field and just 26.6% from three, which is a big reason he is still available this late in free agency.
Still, one rough shooting year doesn’t erase what he showed in 2024-25. That season, Agbaji started 45 games for the Raptors and averaged 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 39.9% from three on 4.0 attempts per game. Denver would not need him to create much offensively, so any return to that level of shooting would make him a much easier player to keep on the floor.
The defense is the real draw. Basketball Index had Agbaji in the 83rd percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 78th percentile in defensive positional versatility last season, and he has ranked at least in the 87th percentile in matchup difficulty in every year of his career. Even more eye-catching, he ranked in the 94th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, 90th percentile in ball-screen navigation, and 99th percentile in off-ball chaser defense during the 2024-25 season.
At this point in August, Denver could probably try to land him on a minimum deal and hope the 26.6% from deep was the outlier. For a team without much financial wiggle room, that kind of bet is hard to ignore.
Dalen Terry is the cleanest swing of the three, and probably the one that fits best if Denver wants youth, defense, and cost control all in one package. The 76ers waived him in late July after initially picking up his option, which made the 24-year-old available as a free agent. The Nuggets could pursue him on a minimum contract without giving up anything.
The box score doesn’t jump off the page. Terry averaged 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 48 games last season while shooting 43.9% from the field and 36.4% from three. He’s not a scorer and likely never will be, but Denver already has the offensive firepower covered with its top group.
What makes Terry interesting is how active he is defensively. In 34 games with the Bulls last season, he posted 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes, along with a 2.7% steal rate and 2.5% block rate.
Opponents scored only a 111.2 defensive rating during his minutes. At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he has the tools to bother ballhandlers, jump passing lanes, and challenge shots.
He could take on tougher guard and wing assignments, keep the ball moving, and park in the corner when Jokic has it. His 36.4% from three came on low volume, so he’s not exactly a proven spacer, but it’s enough to keep defenses honest.
For Denver, the logic is straightforward. Watson is gone, the money isn’t there to replace him in a big way, and the Nuggets need another defensive wing who can survive in meaningful minutes. A cheap bet on a 24-year-old with real defensive traits makes a lot more sense than adding another scorer just for the sake of it.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Created A DeMar DeRozan Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Nuggets spent the offseason reshaping the edges of their roster, adding Marvin Bagley, Alpha Diallo and rookie Trevon Brazile while bringing back Spencer Jones and Tyus Jones. It was the kind of depth-building Denver has needed, especially after a summer that also included a sign-and-trade and the arrival of veteran scorer DeMar DeRozan, a move that immediately made the bench picture more interesting.
Now the question is less about what DeRozan still has left and more about how the Nuggets will use him in a rotation that already has established pieces up top. Denvers new-look lineup has a different feel from the one that finished last season, and the way the team balances scoring, playmaking and depth around its stars could end up defining how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
Herb Jones Is Becoming The Kind Of Pelicans Piece Rivals Target
Denver has spent the early part of this stretch thinking like a team that knows its championship clock is tied to Nikola Jokic, which is why every roster move gets weighed through a playoff lens. The reported one-year deal for DeMar DeRozan fits that kind of urgency, and so does the growing chatter around whether the Nuggets can sharpen their defense before the games matter most in April and May.
Herb Jones has become the sort of perimeter stopper that can change how a contender looks on that end of the floor, and that naturally puts him on the radar of teams trying to build around a title core. For Denver, the appeal is obvious: a tougher defensive presence could be the kind of upgrade that balances out an offense built to score at a high level, even if getting there would require a difficult roster decision and some real league interest to line up. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Have Another Chance To Deepen This Contender Core
The Cavaliers made a bold addition when they landed Peyton Watson in a five-team trade that sent draft picks and players flying across multiple rosters, and they quickly followed it by re-signing James Harden to a new three-year contract. Between the trade and the extension, Cleveland has signaled real urgency to keep strengthening a core that already has more than a little weight on its shoulders.
Now the front office may not be done. Beyond the Watson move, Cleveland is looking at another familiar name in veteran free agency as it tries to round out the bench and keep the contender picture intact, a type of addition that can matter just as much in the spring as any splashier headline. For a team trying to build on its latest aggressive swing, the next piece could tell us plenty about how far it plans to push this version of the roster. [Read more 🡒]