The Denver Nuggets may have just added another proven scorer, but that doesn’t mean the Nikola Jokic conversation is going anywhere.
On Friday, Denver signed six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, a move that gives the Nuggets another offensive weapon alongside Jokic and Jamal Murray. At the same time, it also keeps the league-wide focus squarely on whether Jokic’s future could eventually become a real point of interest for the Golden State Warriors.
DeRozan brings real production. Last season with the Sacramento Kings, he averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists while shooting nearly 50% from the floor.
For Denver, that kind of scoring punch should help in bench minutes and in stretches when Jokic is off the court. On paper, it’s a sensible low-cost addition.
But there’s a catch. DeRozan’s game has never been built around easy off-ball work. He needs the ball in his hands, he’s not a spot-up 3-point threat, and while there could be some cutting alongside Jokic, that hasn’t exactly been his calling card over a 17-year career.
That’s why the fit feels more complicated than the signing price suggests. DeRozan has piled up more than 25,000 career points, but his team impact has always been a harder thing to pin down.
His career plus-minus is negative, and at 37, his playoff résumé still raises eyebrows: just four series wins, none since 2018 with the Toronto Raptors. He has appeared in only two playoff series over the last eight years.
For Denver, he could absolutely help soak up regular-season minutes and create offense when the stars need a breather. That kind of role would have made him an intriguing target for Golden State, too, especially with Jimmy Butler sidelined by a torn ACL and the Warriors still searching for shot-making.
Still, the Nuggets are playing a different game than the Warriors. Golden State is trying to get back to the playoffs. Denver’s standard is much higher, with expectations that start at winning a playoff series and point toward another run to the Western Conference Finals or beyond.
That’s where the real question lives: can DeRozan hold up in a playoff setting next to Jokic and Murray? Until that answer comes into focus, the Warriors will keep watching Jokic’s situation closely.
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Warriors Suddenly Have Two Intriguing Young Options For Open Roster Spots
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There may also be a fresh opportunity to add more youth to the mix. A five-team trade involving the Washington Wizards has put Cam Whitmore and Julian Reese into the conversation as possible camp candidates, and both would fit the kind of low-risk, upside swing the Warriors have shown interest in before. For a team trying to balance immediate needs with long-term flexibility, those open roster spots could wind up being more competitive than they looked a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]