The first day of NBA free agency came and went without the usual splash, and that quiet has to feel like a small win for the Nuggets.
Denver is sitting in a tough spot, mostly waiting and hoping that Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones don’t get hit with offer sheets big enough to pry them away. The Nuggets don’t have much room to maneuver, so this period was always going to be more about survival than shopping. And so far, the market has been kind to them.
A few familiar names popped early, including three with Nuggets connections. DeAndre Jordan stayed in New Orleans, Bones Hyland remained in Minnesota, and Tim Hardaway Jr. headed to Miami.
That last one stings a bit, even if it was hardly a surprise. The Heat had the full taxpayer mid-level exception available, a number Denver simply can’t match right now.
Still, Hardaway was one of the more notable moves of the night, and the bigger story was what didn’t happen. The league didn’t rush into a frenzy of signings. Instead, teams appeared to be moving carefully, waiting for the top restricted free agents and bigger decisions to shake loose before they turned to other options.
That matters for Denver.
The Nuggets are in a holding pattern, with no spending power and every reason to keep their fingers crossed. They’d obviously prefer to lock up their own players and add help immediately, but that was never the realistic path. Right now, the focus around the league has been on other restricted names such as Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler, which helps keep the heat off Watson and Jones for the moment.
It’s still early, and one quiet evening doesn’t solve anything. Losing Hardaway Jr. is not ideal, and offers for Denver’s young free agents can still come. But if the market stays sluggish and the major dominoes keep waiting to fall, the Nuggets’ chances of getting through this cycle intact only improve.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Watched Another Major Offseason Target Slip Away
The latest swing in the leagues offseason market may have closed another door for Denver, which had been linked to Jaylen Brown but never had much room to maneuver if a bidding war broke out. Bostons agreement to move Brown, with Paul George and a haul of draft picks going the other way, underscored just how expensive it takes to land a star of that caliber, and why the Nuggets were always going to need more than interest to stay in the race.
For Denver, the bigger theme is still the same: the roster has not been touched in free agency yet, and another target has already gone elsewhere after Tim Hardaway Jr. signed on the open market. The Nuggets have been searching for ways to keep pace at the top of the West, but every missed opportunity only sharpens the pressure on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Just Missed On A Guard They Clearly Needed
The Nuggets were in the mix for another backcourt addition before Anfernee Simons came off the board, a reminder that Denvers need for guard help has been obvious even as the roster has started to take shape elsewhere. The team already addressed the frontcourt with Marvin Bagley, but the work on the perimeter is far from done, especially with the rotation still looking thin behind Jamal Murray.
Denvers interest in Simons was part of a broader search for scoring and shot creation on the wing and at guard, and there are still names left to monitor if the Nuggets keep shopping. Gabe Vincent, Cam Thomas, Brandon Williams, Josh Okogie and Gary Trent Jr. have all been mentioned as possible fits, which gives Denver a few different directions to explore as it tries to build out the depth it still needs. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Jones Just Made Nuggets Fans Watch His Contract Talks Closely
Spencer Jones rise with the Nuggets has turned a quiet winter decision into a contract subplot worth watching. The forward passed on a multi-year guaranteed offer from Denver before settling for a rest-of-season deal in February, and since then he has carved out a role as a versatile piece the team can use in different lineups. For a player who has helped himself by being available and adaptable, the next negotiation now carries a little more weight than it did a few months ago.
Jones is now in talks on a new contract that is expected to be substantially larger than the one he initially turned down, a sign the Nuggets clearly value what he has brought to the roster. It also makes his earlier choice look even bolder, because he chose to bet on his ability to improve his market rather than lock in security when it was first offered. A multi-year deal still appears likely, but the details are where the real interest sits now. [Read more 🡒]