The Denver Nuggets made plenty of moves already this offseason to bolster their depth, and their frontcourt rotation will benefit from a rookie finally suiting up.
The Denver Nuggets have been busy this offseason, swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson, Dario Saric for Jonas Valančiūnas, and signing Bruce Brown in free agency.
The Nuggets, it seems, are poised to be frontrunners in a crowded Western Conference, and kept their key three of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon in place.
In addition to Valančiūnas, Denver will be getting DaRon Holmes II back, the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, who missed all season with an Achilles tear.
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty ImagesWho is DaRon Holmes II?
An All-American out of Dayton, Holmes II led the A-10 Conference in rebounds and points per game in his third season with the Flyers.
He posted 20.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting an excellent 54.4% from the floor and showcasing some shooting range. For good measure, he offered 2.1 blocks per game as well.
Despite being slightly undersized at 6-foot-10, he is a dunking machine who can steamroll anyone in the paint. He is yet to emerge as a volume scorer, but he can space the floor on offense a bit for a more traditional center.
On defense, he is at his best in the paint and doesn’t mind getting physical to fight for rebounds. Basically, he is an old-school center who would have fit well on the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons, with a modern touch to his game in the form of a solid 3-point shot.
Holmes II will be Denver’s only rookie this year and has high expectations after they did not have a pick in the 2025 draft, and fans will get their first taste of action as he joins their summer league roster.
Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver PostHow DaRon Holmes II fits next to Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets have title hopes heading into this season, and if Holmes II is raw, rusty, or simply isn’t prepared to play winning basketball, expect Denver to give Valančiūnas a much bigger role off the bench.
The Nuggets, more than any other team, know who their starting center is. Their success starts with Jokic, and the roster is built to maximize his talents.
Luckily, Jokic is one of the more versatile players in the entire NBA. If Holmes II can’t shoot well, then he can roam the paint while Jokic serves as an outside facilitator and scorer. If he can knock down shots, then the Nuggets can space the floor while bolstering their interior defense.
In all likelihood, Holmes II will be the third-string center behind both Jokic and Valančiūnas, although he should be able to share the floor with another center and get real minutes as a role player, not just relegated to garbage time.