The Denver Nuggets are still working the veteran market, and the latest name to surface is a big one: DeMar DeRozan.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Denver is among the teams showing interest in the six-time All-Star forward, alongside the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Charania also reported that the Heat are among “several championship contending teams” monitoring Klay Thompson’s status, while the Lakers and Cavaliers remain interested in a sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga.
DeRozan has been available since the Sacramento Kings agreed to waive him earlier this offseason, and he’s been viewed as a fallback option for teams that were chasing LeBron James but came up short. That context matters here, because the Nuggets, Heat and Cavaliers all spent time in the LeBron mix to some degree, which helps explain why they’re now being tied to DeRozan.
On paper, the fit in Denver isn’t obvious. He’s another forward in a rotation that could use more guard help, and he doesn’t exactly solve the Nuggets’ defensive concerns. David Adelman was also clear at the end of last season that the team needed more athleticism and ball-handling, two traits that don’t jump out first when you think about DeRozan.
If Denver had two roster spots to sort out before next season - including Peyton Watson and one other player - there’s an argument that the second opening could be better spent on someone with a different profile.
Still, there’s a reason DeRozan makes sense as a target: he may be the best player left who could actually be had on a veteran minimum deal. The Nuggets are tight against the cap after signing Spencer Jones to a new two-year, $12 million contract that pushed them well into the tax and above the second apron. That means any addition beyond Watson would likely have to come on a minimum contract.
And DeRozan would bring real production. He’s coming off a strong season in Sacramento, where he averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 49.7% from the field.
For Denver, the appeal is pretty straightforward: a proven scorer who could slide into a sixth-man role, help replace the departure of Tim Hardaway Jr., and give Nikola Jokic another reliable option in the offense. It would also give the Nuggets a chance to bolster a second unit that now looks thinner than it did a year ago.
Of course, the Nuggets won’t be alone. Miami and Cleveland are in the picture, and any other team could still emerge with interest. But for now, DeRozan is firmly a name for Nuggets fans to watch as Denver looks for a cheap, short-term answer on the wing.
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Hawks Got Pulled Into Another Cap Mess With Huge Denver Fallout
The Nuggets decision to match Oklahoma Citys two-year, $12 million offer sheet for Spencer Jones did more than keep a useful young wing in Denver. It also tightened the screws on a roster already dealing with the realities of the new CBA, and the financial hit is not small. By bringing Jones back, Denvers luxury tax bill jumps from $36 million to $68 million, a reminder that even a relatively modest restricted free agent move can ripple through the rest of the summer.
Peyton Watson is the next name hanging over all of it. He is seeking a substantial payday, reportedly around $28 million per year, and Denvers cap picture now makes any path forward more complicated. The Nuggets still have to sort out whether a deal can be reached, whether a trade becomes the cleaner route, or whether Watsons situation drags deeper into the offseason with the kind of leverage that can reshape a teams books in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Rumor Puts Nuggets Wing Depth In An Uncomfortable Spotlight
The Lakers search for frontcourt help has already turned into a messy summer subplot, with Jonathan Kumingas market not moving cleanly and his next stop still uncertain. For Denver, the ripple effect is what matters, because any team looking for a more workable path could start scanning the Nuggets roster for a wing who brings size, playoff experience and a contract situation that makes him easier to discuss.
Cameron Johnson fits that conversation better than most, which is exactly why the rumor has some bite for a Nuggets team trying to hold together its depth. He is on an expiring deal and has already been through a deep postseason run with Phoenix, the kind of profile that can draw attention when another clubs preferred target gets complicated, and the next layer of this story is whether Denver gets pulled into that market at all. [Read more 🡒]