It's been a mostly lackluster offseason for the Denver Nuggets. Of course, they've had their hands tied. They're operating over the NBA's second apron threshold, the only team in that boat, and they're limited to signing players on a minimum contract.
They got off to a rough start by bringing back Tyus Jones when they had other options on the board. And they had to trade budding star Peyton Watson to save money against the luxury tax fines they'd have faced. But they've put the pedal to the metal with a week to go before training camp opens, and their acquisition of DeMar DeRozan could be just the right move to erase the sour taste of the rest of the offseason.
DeRozan can change the way we view the offseason
There have been plenty of pundits and fans who have been skeptical of the DeRozan signing. But if he were the first or second free agent the Nuggets picked up instead of Jones, would the same complaints about his defense and fit keep occurring? Or would the focus be on the value acquisition of one of the best, most durable scorers of the past 25 years? Probably the latter, for sure.
Yes, the Nuggets needed defense. But they're at least a massive net upgrade over Bruce Brown with DeRozan. Brown wasn't nearly as good as he was during the Nuggets' championship run. If DeRozan doesn't fall off a cliff defensively (it would be hard for him to get much worse), the 8-10 more points DeRozan will likely score, based on his career numbers and the added playmaking capabilities he has, will do far more to counteract the loss of Brown.
And DeRozan absorbs everything that sixth-man Tim Hardaway Jr. did, too. Plus, DeRozan can play the two, three, or even act as a small four. He's got a bevy of basketball IQ to pair alongside Nikola Jokic, and the three-time MVP will surely figure out the best way to take advantage of it.
DeRozan will also bring a veteran locker room presence with a strong training ethic that is bound to rub off on the rookies and younger guys like DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji.
DeRozan will help win games in the clutch, raising the Nuggets' ceiling
DeRozan is also a fantastic finisher late in games, and he's been one of the top clutch players in the league over the last four seasons. If he helps carry the Nuggets to a couple of extra wins, the Nuggets may be a 57-59 win team this year. They just won 54 last season with all of the injuries they had.
All in all, DeRozan could make quite an impact for the Nuggets in 2026-27. If he does, the offseason won't feel so bad.
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