The Denver Nuggets have made a lot of changes outside the starting five heading into the 2026-27 season. There are five fresh faces on the standard roster, and two more who have been signed to two-way contracts. But three of them in particular are poised to offer the Nuggets the most impact off the bench, and they've each got a positive upside trajectory with their new team.
3. Marvin Bagley III
First up is Marvin Bagley III. The new successor to the role that seems to rotate year after year as the backup to Nikola Jokic should be the remedy the Nuggets need after Jonas Valanciunas failed to live up to expectations last year. Bagley is much more mobile and athletic than Valanciunas was. Which should help on the defensive side of the ball tremendously. Bagley's been an improving defender over the course of his career, and he'll be a solid offensive option for the non-Jokic minutes as well.
Bagley is a great finisher around the rim, and he shot 64.1% from inside the arc across 60 games and 20 minutes per game while averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds with the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. He also showed the ability to stretch the defense, hitting 46.2% of his 52 three-point attempts. The 6-foot-10 former number two overall pick still has plenty of talent left in the tank, and he should see plenty of minutes spelling Jokic and Aaron Gordon in the frontcourt.
2. Alpha Diallo
I think many are underrating the Alpha Diallo signing, and he's a sleeper candidate for how well he could perform in his role off the bench for the Nuggets. Diallo, the 29-year-old rookie who will be making his NBA debut, won the EuroLeague's Best Defender award last year. He's excellent on the perimeter, and his athleticism and length allow him to cover any opponent's best player from the one-through-four. He should be the Nuggets' best defender, and he should get plenty of playing time because of it.
Offensively, Diallo will use his high basketball IQ to find the open space to finish efficiently at the rim, where he excels. Diallo was a 66.7% finisher at the rim in the EuroLeague last year, and he's capable of knocking down a three, too, shooting 36.8% from downtown in his career. He's great at moving without the ball and cutting, making him a great pairing alongside Nikola Jokic.
1. DeMar DeRozan
Of course, it's the 17-year veteran, six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan who will have the biggest impact among the fresh faces for the Nuggets in 2026-27. DeRozan will be coming off the bench for the first time in his career, but he should see plenty of minutes with his multi-positional flexibility. The Nuggets can even use DeRozan as a backup point guard if they want.
DeRozan will be the scoring and playmaking boost that the Nuggets' bench needed last year. Plus, DeRozan provides the Nuggets with another elite clutch-time performer to complement Jokic and Jamal Murray. There's no reason DeRozan can't approach the 18.4 points he averaged with the Sacramento Kings last year despite coming off the bench because of how many minutes he should get. And he'll have a great shot at bringing home the Nuggets' first Sixth Man of the Year Award.
All in all, the three fresh faces are welcome additions to the Nuggets and should be staples in the rotation for 2026-27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google