The Denver Nuggets still have work to do in July, and the way they finish this offseason may come down to more than free agency. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones remain unsigned as restricted free agents, three roster spots are still open, and the front office could eventually find itself turning to the trade market to round out the group.
If Denver goes that route, Cameron Johnson stands out as the most movable name on the roster. The 30-year-old forward is on a non-expiring deal worth $23.1 million, which makes him one of the easier contracts to deal in the NBA.
The contract matters, but so does the player attached to it. Johnson has already shown he can draw interest as a veteran shooter, especially after hitting 43% from three last season and helping Denver go 37-17 in his 54 starts.
That combination makes him the most obvious candidate if the Nuggets decide to make a meaningful move before the offseason is over. It also fits a possible path to keeping Peyton Watson while staying below the second apron.
Aaron Gordon would be the other big name to watch if Denver ever got into blockbuster territory. At 30, he remains one of the league’s most valuable role players because he does so much on both ends of the floor.
His contract is also workable: about $32 million next season, $34.5 million in 2027-28, and a $37.1 million player option in 2028-29. Even with recent injury concerns, that deal would appeal to plenty of teams.
Still, a Gordon trade feels unlikely because no outside team would value him the way the Nuggets do.
Julian Strawther is another contract that could draw interest, though for a different reason. He is owed just $4.8 million next season, and while that is not the kind of money every team wants to absorb, it is the sort of deal Denver could flip for a second-round pick. Strawther shot 38.7% from deep last season, but the Nuggets’ lack of guard depth means they may need him badly in 2026-27 if he stays.
Nikola Jokic would obviously be the biggest name on any trade board, but his situation is complicated. He has not signed an extension, so he has only one guaranteed season left at $59 million in 2026-27 before a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28.
Any team trading for him would want long-term security, and that is not there right now. His deal would look far more movable if it carried more years.
Jamal Murray also sits near the top of the payroll, with the largest total guaranteed money on the roster. He has three years left on a contract that averages $53.8 million, and last season he backed up that price tag by playing like one of the NBA’s top point guards. He would still bring strong trade interest, but not every team would be eager to take on that kind of salary.
There are also a few contracts Denver would likely need to sweeten with extra assets just to move. Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million extension has already turned him into a negative trade asset, especially after his disappointing 2025-26 season.
Zeke Nnaji, on a two-year deal worth $14.9 million with a player option, has been a tough fit for a while, and the Nuggets have had no luck finding a taker. DaRon Holmes, who is on a two-year deal worth $8.9 million with a team option, deserves more time after missing his entire rookie season with an injury, but he would still be difficult to move without Denver adding something else to the deal.
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Nuggets Roster Shakeup Just Put One Young Guard Under Real Pressure
Tyus Jones arriving as the new backup point guard gives Denver a steadier hand behind Jamal Murray, but the ripple effects go beyond the backcourt depth chart. With Bruce Brown not re-signed and Tim Hardaway Jr. gone, the Nuggets have opened up minutes that have to go somewhere, and Julian Strawther is one of the young players suddenly staring at a much larger opportunity.
Strawther, a former first-round pick, is expected to be part of the shooting-guard mix in a way he simply was not before. Denver also has a contract decision looming with him, since the team may want to get ahead of restricted free agency and keep the price manageable before the season starts. For a roster trying to balance immediate contention with long-term flexibility, that makes Strawther one of the more interesting names to watch this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets End Summer League With A Win And One Last Roster Debate
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With the draft picks sidelined, the final look was more about the next wave of roster hopefuls than the headline names, and several summer standouts kept making their case. Mark Sears, Erik Stevenson, Jahmius Ramsey, Coleman Hawkins, Matthew Murrell and T.J. Bamba were among the players who helped close the book on the trip, leaving Denver with one last roster question to sort through before the real decisions begin. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Quietly Addressed Their Biggest Bench Problem
The Nuggets have spent much of the summer trying to patch up the edges of a roster that still looks built to contend, and the latest move suggests they may have targeted the area that needed the most help. Alpha Diallo arrives from the EuroLeague with a reputation that travels well: defense, pressure on the ball and the kind of disruptive presence that can change a possession without needing touches on offense.
Denver is hoping that translates into a steadier second unit, especially on the wing, after a stretch of roster churn that has left some questions hanging around the bench. Diallos defensive pedigree gives the Nuggets a plausible answer there, even as they wait to see how the rest of the rotation settles around him. [Read more 🡒]