Bruce Brown may return, but another free agent should be a priority for Nuggets

Ever since free agency started, the Denver Nuggets faithful have been clamoring for a Bruce Brown return to the Mile High City. The 6’4” do-it-all wing was a key component to the 2023 NBA Championship rotation and is now a pending free agent following his massive pay-day a couple of years ago. The Nuggets should target a specific stretch forward in free agency, regardless.

Brown has hinted numerous times throughout this season and offseason already that reuniting with Nikola Jokic and Co. may be in his plans. Ignoring his Nuggets championship tattoo aside, he added the David Adelman breaking news to his social media story when Denver officially hired him as the head coach. Prior to that, he also mentioned how he missed playoff basketball.

If those weren’t big enough hints, Brucie B even attended Ball Arena for a Nuggets playoff game, decked out in some Cowboy gear, looking like a true Colorado native. Denver lost that game, but Brown received a standing ovation, and the crowd gave him endless amounts of cheers and love while he was on the jumbotron.

Despite all of this hype for Brown, a more under-the-radar addition that would be just as impactful, if not more so, would be the Nuggets acquiring Larry Nance Jr… and there are so many reasons as to why.

Larry Nance Jr. would bring defense, versatility, and legitimate spacing

After Dario Saric officially opted into the 2nd year of his contract, Nuggets fans rolled their eyes immediately, but it made sense for the $5 million that came with the deal. Saric will likely never play meaningful minutes for Denver, and with Zeke Nnaji never truly panning out, Denver is in need of capable front-court depth.

Some may argue that DaRon Holmes II can be just that, but with him coming off of a rehabilitation year after tearing his achilles in summer league, and with him essentially being a rookie next year, that would be a ton of pressure on him. Denver has championship aspirations, and Nance Jr. is much more of a sure bet than Holmes, Nnaji, or Saric.

While Nance Jr. only played in 24 games last season for the Atlanta Hawks due to a right hand fracture and a right knee fracture, he looks to be fully recovered now, and neither of those injuries typically lingers once fully healed. In his limited games last season, the 6’8” PF shot an efficient 51.6% from the field and 44.7% (34/76) from beyond the arc. He was also a prolific cutter last season:

In the season prior with the New Orleans Pelicans, Nance Jr. was wildly efficient as well while playing 61 games. That year, he shot a bonkers 57.3% from the field and 41.5% from deep (on limited attempts per game). Nance Jr. has also always been regarded as a plus-defender who can play PF or small-ball C.

For the Nuggets, he would be able to play as Aaron Gordon’s backup, Nikola Jokic’s backup, or alongside either of them. This versatility and his decade-long experience in the league would be an amazing addition for Denver.