At long last, it appears that the Denver Nuggets\u2019 offseason is over. The season concluded on a sour note for fans, and Denver\u2019s front office did little to make it better over the summer.<\/p>\n
For months, rumors of the Nuggets blowing up their team circulated. Fans and media alike were compiling mock trades revolving around Jamal Murray<\/a>, Aaron Gordon<\/a>, Cameron Johnson<\/a>, and Christian Braun<\/a>. Nevertheless, none of these theories came to fruition. Denver kept their starting lineup intact, failing to provide Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a> with any new help.<\/p>\n All the while, the vultures of the league picked them apart. The Miami Heat took<\/a> Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/a>, while the Cleveland Cavaliers squeezed<\/a> the Nuggets so hard that they only got a 2031 1st out of Peyton Watson<\/a>. Given their cap limitations, Denver had to stay put all offseason, as they couldn\u2019t afford the moves they may have wanted.<\/p>\n Instead, they stayed on a budget. They brought in<\/a> wing Lonnie Walker IV<\/a>, got<\/a> Alpha Diallo from the EuroLeague, and on August 21st, they scooped up<\/a> 6-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan<\/a>. Despite a rather disappointing option, intrigue remains regarding how the Nuggets will choose to line up next year.<\/p>\n The Nuggets\u2019 Starting Lineup Stays Simple<\/p>\n The starting lineup will almost certainly be the same as last year. Murray will run the point, and Braun and Johnson will be on the wings. Meanwhile, Gordon will be at the four while Joki\u0107 runs the show from the center position.<\/p>\n Last summer, fans were enthused by this starting lineup. Braun was coming off a career year, and Johnson looked fantastic in Brooklyn. Plus, with Murray, Gordon, and Joki\u0107 being the core trio from Denver\u2019s 2023 Championship, fans figured another deep run was in store.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the Nuggets crashed and burned. Braun and Johnson faltered offensively, while the rest of the team was ravaged by injuries and hindered by playoff struggles.<\/p>\n After a first-round exit<\/a> courtesy of the short-handed Timberwolves, hopes for Denver this season are lower. Especially as they return the same starting five. Maybe Braun and Johnson will bounce back. Maybe Gordon can stay healthy come playoff time. And maybe Murray can replicate his career year.<\/p>\n Endless hypotheticals and narratives surround this quintet, but only time will tell just how they pan out.<\/p>\n Denver Nuggets updated roster:<\/p>\n PG: Jamal Murray Bench: \u2014 Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) August 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Taking a Look at Benches of Years Past<\/p>\n Fans may argue about Denver\u2019s largest shortcomings in maximizing Joki\u0107\u2019s championship window. However, one topic that comes up time and again is the Nuggets\u2019 disappointing bench rotations.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s no coincidence that 2020 was the only year besides 2023 when the Nuggets made the Conference Finals. Murray obviously played a massive role, but having guys like Michael Porter Jr.<\/a>, Torrey Craig<\/a>, and Monte Morris<\/a> off the bench was vital.<\/p>\n They came up short in 2021 and 2022, when guys like Austin Rivers<\/a>, Facundo Campazzo<\/a>, and JaVale McGee<\/a> were playing sizeable minutes. Then, on that championship team, Bruce Brown<\/a>, Christian Braun<\/a>, and Jeff Green<\/a> were invaluable all season.<\/p>\n Their early exit in 2024 can be attributed to Reggie Jackson<\/a>, Justin Holiday<\/a>, and DeAndre Jordan<\/a> getting serious run. They addressed the bench more in 2025, bringing in Russell Westbrook<\/a> as Watson started to shine.<\/p>\n Then, last year, they had a great unit. Brown was back, Watson was shining, and Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Jones<\/a> were flourishing. Ultimately, though, injuries kept last year\u2019s group from playing together much and from making a further playoff run.<\/p>\n Given how much they prioritized their bench the last two years, fans might expect the Nuggets to continue down that path. Unfortunately, though, this bench unit is more reminiscent of the 2021 and 2022 benches.<\/p>\n On opening night, Denver used a 10-man rotation.<\/p>\n Starters (Murray, Braun, Cam, Gordon, Jokic) They ALL played in the same game in 6 of the first 11 games this year\u2026<\/p>\n \u2026and haven’t ALL played together in the same game since.<\/p>\n \u2014 Dan Hyatt (@DanHyattStats) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n A B-Team Bench Unit<\/p>\n As of now, Tyus Jones<\/a> will be running the show. Denver picked him up late last season and, after a few decent showings in the playoffs, decided to give him the reins.<\/p>\n Jones had some solid seasons from 2022-2024, averaging<\/a> over 10 points a game each year. However, since then, he has bounced around from team to team, failing to earn consistent minutes and averaging less than four points a game. Thus, in attempting to maximize Joki\u0107\u2019s championship window, the Nuggets will be putting their faith in a backup journeyman on the downswing of his career.<\/p>\n On the wings, it will be Julian Strawther<\/a> and DeRozan. Strawther has been in Denver for three years and hasn\u2019t developed into what they had hoped.<\/p>\n He profiles as a sharpshooter with ball handling skills and defensive upside, but he has struggled to be consistent and defensively sound. His potential is there, but don\u2019t be fooled by Denver. He is not in the rotation because he has suddenly started to make waves. He is there because they could not afford to get anyone better.<\/p>\n Derozan, on the other hand, is an interesting case. Fans know what he can do, as he has not averaged under 17 points a game since his rookie year. The Nuggets will be relying on him heavily to score, as he may be the only one in that rotation who can create his own shot.<\/p>\n At under $4 million a year, the move is a no-brainer for Denver. However, he hasn\u2019t made it past the first round<\/a> of the playoffs since 2018. Thus, the Nuggets\u2019 championship hopes will be resting on the shoulders of a 37-year-old tank commander.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The B-Team Bench Unit Reaches C-Tier<\/p>\n At the four, Spencer Jones<\/a> will be the saving grace of Denver\u2019s bench unit. Do not be surprised if he is the only one to return to the team in 2027.<\/p>\n Jones isn\u2019t the best creator, but with his defense, hustle, and knockdown shooting, he is the kind of player that every team needs. He can play at the dunker spot with Joki\u0107, he can space the floor, and he can guard any team\u2019s best scorer. Expect his minutes per game to keep going up and up.<\/p>\n The last spot in the bench lineup belongs to Marvin Bagley III<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like Tyus Jones, he is a veteran journeyman struggling to find a home in the league. His potential is visible: he averages 10 points and six rebounds a game when healthy. The issue is that he is seldom healthy. Bagley has only played over 50 games in a season twice in eight years.<\/p>\n The Nuggets needed a quality backup center that they could rely on to stay healthy and play solid defense. Instead, they signed Bagley.<\/p>\n Simply put, Denver seems to have scraped the bottom of the barrel of available NBA players. Some guys on the Nuggets\u2019 bench, including those in this unit, may not be on teams if Denver didn\u2019t pick them up. On a more positive note, though, the Nuggets do still have some reserves worth mentioning.<\/p>\n DaRon Holmes<\/a> and Trevon Brazile<\/a> both provide more upside than Bagley. Brazile, the rookie from Arkansas, is lanky, athletic, and would pair perfectly with Joki\u0107. Holmes, meanwhile, is a great rim protector with promising three-point potential.<\/p>\n
SG: Christian Braun
SF: Cameron Johnson
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic<\/p>\n
Tyus Jones
DeMar DeRozan
Julian Strawther
Spencer Jones
Marvin Bagley III
Alpha Diallo
Trevon Brazile
DaRon Holmes
Zeke Nnaji
Lonnie Walker IV*<\/p>\n
Bench (Brown, Hardaway, Watson, Jones, Val)<\/p>\n