The Denver Nuggets haven’t made a ton of moves throughout the past few weeks of the offseason.
Really, a lot of that is due to the holdup on both of their restricted free agency situations centering around Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones. And to this point, we still don’t know when either is going to resolve.
However, the Nuggets have made a few additions––one of those being a deal for Marvin Bagley III, who comes on via a one-year, minimum deal. He’ll effectively bring a lift to Denver’s frontcourt rotation, and be a bit of a replacement for Jonas Valanciunas as a backup five behind Nikola Jokic.
That’s good news for Jokic to have a competent backup five running behind him. However, the addition of Bagley does tend to be a bit worse for the likes of DaRon Holmes, who might see his stock drop just a bit with the new veteran big man coming in.
Why DaRon Holmes Might Not Love the Addition of Marvin Bagley
Heading into the offseason, it started to seem like it would mark a turning point for Holmes’ stock as a rotational piece in the frontcourt for the Nuggets.
His first year in the NBA was disrupted by a torn Achilles. His season last year was pretty limited and left him in the G League more often than not.
Now at nearly 24 years old, he might’ve been waiting in the background long enough for the Nuggets to hand him a bit more opportunity at both the four and the five spots this coming season.
Jan 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Daron Holmes II (14) during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That expectation heightened even further when recognizing that Valanciunas would be a casualty of the Nuggets’ free-agent moves, opening up even more minutes in the second unit for Holmes to take advantage of.
But now, the Nuggets have added a veteran in Bagley, who directly competes with Holmes for playing time. Bagley can also flex from the four and five spots and stands out as a strong interior presence who also shot over 46% from three on about one attempt per game in 2025-26.
The Pressure Is On for DaRon Holmes
So for Holmes to truly stand out as a worthwhile rotational piece for the Nuggets to lean on–– and especially over a guy like Bagley–– he’ll have to prove that he’s not just a strong scorer inside and able to stretch out to beyond the arc, but also offer value as an athletic defender for Denver to be able to play alongside Bagley and get consistent playing time.
Right now, we’re really unsure of whether Holmes can truly do that at a high level like the playoff-ready Nuggets need him to be. He’s only played in 25 regular-season games to this point in his career, and averaged less than 10 minutes and five points per game. His efficiency numbers are solid, but that’s in a very limited sample size.Â
That’s why getting those extended minutes in the Nuggets’ frontcourt throughout the regular season are expected to be valuable for Holmes in his third year pro. And those opportunities can still come his way, but not quite as easily as expected with the presence of both Bagley and even second-round pick Trevon Brazile competing for similar roles as well.
So if this season wasn’t already a pivotal one for Holmes, it becomes even more so now that the Nuggets are adding direct competition to his position. If he doesn’t show up as expected, it could put him completely out of the rotation once again, and just maybe, end his time in the Mile High altogether.
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