After the disastrous first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets decided to go in a different direction at backup wing on the perimeter, moving away from Bruce Brown. Free agent Brown finally found a temporary home with the New York Knicks, but the deal he signed justifies the Nuggets' choice to try 29-year-old rookie Alpha Diallo on the perimeter instead.
Brown will now be entering training camp with the Knicks in a battle for one of their remaining two roster spots, needing to play his way onto the team. Michael Scotto reports that Brown agreed to an Exhibit 9 deal, a non-guaranteed training camp contract. Brown will now be contending with John Konchar, Ochai Agbaji, James Wiseman, and Drew Eubanks for a spot with the defending NBA Champions.
Brown has been regressing since his first Nuggets stint
It shows just how far the former Nuggets champion has slipped over the past couple of seasons since his peak with the Nuggets in 2022-23, when Brown was an integral part of the championship rotation. His regression was on both ends of the floor. Brown averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks, while his individual defensive rating was 113.9.
However, in 2025-26, the defensive rating slipped to 117.1, a stark contrast. Every other number was down across the board, too. Brown averaged just 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks.
The Nuggets wisely turned to Alpha Diallo
The Nuggets made it clear when they gave Diallo the number 11 that Brown wore, that they were moving in a different direction. And it's the right choice. With Brown going backward, and after the poor showing against the Timberwolves, the Nuggets needed to try anything different on the perimeter.
What they got in Diallo could be a game changer. Diallo is the reigning EuroLeague Best Defender, and he should see plenty of minutes guarding the opposing team's best player, especially with Peyton Watson no longer on the roster. And he's a cheaper option as well. Because Diallo is a rookie, he's only a $1.3 million salary cap hit versus the $2.4 million Brown would have absorbed.
Diallo is more naturally a small forward at 6-foot-7. But defensively, he can guard the one through four, giving the Nuggets a more versatile wing to stick next to DeMar DeRozan or Tyus Jones in the Nuggets' second-unit backcourt. Diallo ranked first among EuroLeague forwards in points allowed per possession, and he was elite in point-of-attack and man-to-man defense.
If the defense alone translates (here's to hoping), the Nuggets will look like geniuses for the switch to Diallo from Brown.
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