DeMar DeRozan would offer Nikola Jokic a pairing that works better than expected

The Denver Nuggets completed the sign-and-trade of restricted free agent forward Peyton Watson, leaving a 14th roster spot open that was likely being saved for Watson. One of their next moves will obviously be to fill that spot. And they should do everything in their power to fill it with the best offensive weapon still left on the free agency market, DeMar DeRozan. And they should even offer DeRozan a starting job to seal the deal.

DeRozan has started nearly every game since his rookie season. Yes, he's 37-years-old, but the six-time All-Star can still create his own shots, and his mid-range jumper is still phenomenal. DeRozan shot 49.7%, scoring 18.4 points for the Sacramento Kings last season. Plug him into the starting lineup for Christian Braun and let Braun play 30 minutes a game as the sixth man. If that's what it takes to get DeRozan into a Nuggets jersey after this debacle of an offseason, it should be done.

Jokic and DeRozan can co-exist. Perhaps really well

We all know that Nikola Jokic is one of the best passers, if not the best passer in the league. He excels at finding the cutting player slashing to the hoop. Just today, in Serbia's game against France at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, he made a highlight-reel pass (at the 18-second mark of the clip) to a slashing player cutting to the rim.

It just so happens that DeRozan is one of the best cutters in basketball. He can still finish at the rim, and if he gets stopped, his turnaround mid-range jumper is still top tier. If DeRozan gets fouled, which he draws plenty of, he'll knock down the free throws. He's a career 84.3% from the line. If teams play drop defense on Jokic and leave space around the elbows? Great! That's DeRozan's game.

And DeRozan even excels at the pick-and-roll two-man game. There's a reason he's still in the league after 17 years. His basketball IQ is great.

The issues on offense are DeRozan's three-point shot and the spacing issue when playing under the arc alongside Aaron Gordon. But Gordon's more of a three-point threat than ever before. Having Jamal Murray and Cameron Johnson to provide the extra spacing and sniping three-pointers would work just fine.

Christian Braun could be the spark plug off the bench

Braun, at 25, still has plenty of energy and would be impactful off the bench. He's been a better three-point shooter than he was last season, and there's no reason to think the 30.1% from beyond the arc won't be improved upon in 2026-27. Sure, he'd be a well-paid sixth man, but the Nuggets are likely going to have to go to a short rotation more often than not, especially against the playoff-caliber teams. He'll get plenty of minutes.

The Nuggets' defense was already going to be pretty rough, and losing Watson is going to make it even worse. There are no defensive specialists left on the free agent market now, except maybe Ben Simmons, so the best option is to maximize the offense. The Nuggets won't find a better option left on the board than DeRozan.

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