The Denver Nuggets have one roster problem that keeps staring them in the face, and it’s the one they can’t let linger much longer: guard depth.
Peyton Watson’s restricted free agency is still hanging over Denver’s 2026 offseason, and while bringing him back would help, it wouldn’t solve the biggest issue on the roster. The Nuggets can survive questions elsewhere, but they can’t afford to roll into the 2026-27 season without another reliable ball-handler.
That’s where the concern starts. Denver recently added Lonnie Walker IV on a training camp deal, giving the 27-year-old guard a shot to finish his NBA comeback after time overseas. It’s a worthwhile swing, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Nuggets still have a major opening at point guard.
Jamal Murray and Christian Braun give Denver a starting backcourt it doesn’t need to panic about. The problem is what comes next.
The idea of leaning on Tyus Jones and Julian Strawther to carry the second unit is not exactly comforting, especially when the Nuggets had Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. handling a heavy share of guard minutes off the bench last season. That pair had issues of its own, but it still looks sturdier than what Denver has now.
Jones, 30, gives the Nuggets something useful. He can run an offense, deal with pressure and keep the ball moving without giving it away. But he should not be the only backup point guard answer behind Murray.
Denver also needs another playmaker off the bench beyond two-way guard KJ Simpson, who remains largely unproven and full of question marks. Whether the answer comes through a sign-and-trade involving Watson or a free-agent addition, the Nuggets need another guard in the mix.
Elsewhere, the roster picture is less alarming. The frontcourt has some players who still need to prove themselves, including DaRon Holmes and Trevon Brazile, but there is depth there. On the wing, Denver has Spencer Jones, Alpha Diallo and potentially Watson.
That leaves the guard spot as the one obvious weakness. The Nuggets currently have 13 players on standard contracts, with one spot tied to Watson and another, for now, reserved for Walker IV.
If Denver wants to shore up that final opening, it needs to give Walker IV some real competition. Cameron Thomas, Gabe Vincent, Aaron Holiday, Brandon Williams and Ben Simmons are all names that could compete for that spot and potentially upgrade the backup point guard situation.
The clock is ticking, and the Nuggets are running out of room to patch their biggest flaw. Denver still has time, but not much, and this backcourt hole is too glaring to carry into the new season.
In Other News...
Nuggets And Peyton Watson Are Drifting Toward A Tough Roster Call
Peyton Watsons restricted free agency has settled into the sort of stand-off the Nuggets were hoping to avoid. Denver has put a four-year, $70 million proposal on the table with a team option in the final season, but the talks have not moved much beyond that point as the sides work through value and role in a tighter financial picture for the franchise.
Watsons camp is believed to be targeting a higher annual number, and that gap has left sign-and-trade possibilities in play if a deal cannot be bridged. Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Clippers have all been floated as possible landing spots, while the Nuggets also have to weigh the risk of Watson simply playing on his qualifying offer if the market never gives either side a clean exit. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Has Become A Real Nuggets Flashpoint This Summer
Peyton Watson has gone from promising young piece to summer conversation starter for the Nuggets, and the reason is simple enough: Denver wants to keep him, but the business of restricted free agency has turned the situation into a real test of how much both sides can live with. The Nuggets are working through contract talks with a player whose growth has made him part of the franchises longer-term plans, even as the team continues to navigate the kind of financial pressures that come with building around a contending core.
The wrinkle is that this has not stayed a Denver-only issue. Interest has surfaced from several teams around the league, with the Clippers, Hawks, Bucks and Cavaliers among those linked to a possible sign-and-trade path, which only adds more moving parts to an already delicate negotiation. For now, Watsons future remains unsettled, with the qualifying offer still on the table and the possibility of a longer agreement hanging over the rest of the offseason as training camp gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Just Put The Nuggets In A Tough Offseason Spot
Denvers offseason has already been boxed in by the hard realities of the second apron, and the front office is operating with almost no margin for error. The Nuggets have made only one signing so far, and with a projected luxury tax bill hanging over everything, keeping young talent in place has become harder than usual, especially when the player in question has real league-wide value.
Peyton Watson is now the clearest example of that squeeze. Denver would like to keep the restricted free agent picture from getting messier, but his market has started to form beyond Colorado, with sign-and-trade chatter beginning to frame the next step. For the Nuggets, the challenge is not just finding a path to hold onto him, but navigating an offseason where every move has to fit both the cap sheet and whatever return another team is willing to put on the table. [Read more 🡒]