The Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a slow start to the offseason, to say the least. But a couple of small moves later, and the Nuggets are starting to fill out the roster at the fringes with minimum contract signings and a draft pick, drastically altering the look of one-third of the roster and changing the depth chart for the upcoming season.
The Nuggets still have a couple of roster spots left to fill, keeping the depth chart in flux. But we can start to take some guesses on what it's going to look like as we march through the offseason.
Although he hasn't been signed in free agency, Peyton Watson has been added to the list because of the Nuggets' stance on matching offers to bring him back next season.
Point Guard
Early projection: Jamal Murray, Tyus Jones
Jamal Murray, a stalwart in the Nuggets' offense, will, of course, anchor the backcourt at PG1 for the 10th season in Denver. But he's going to have to play better defense and protect the ball more this year.
The first position on the board, and the Nuggets have an issue. Ball control was a huge point of concern for the Nuggets, and bringing back Tyus Jones in free agency certainly addresses that concern. Jones is one of the best at protecting the ball in the NBA, but that's about where the strengths end. Jones isn't a great defender. He's undersized, and he would be best suited as a PG3, not PG2.
The Nuggets should be looking to add at least one more point guard, like Russell Westbrook, or a guard who can be versatile enough to handle the rock on occasion.
Shooting Guard
Early projection: Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Alpha Diallo
If the Nuggets are successful in retaining Watson, he fits better than Braun in the starting lineup, and it gives the Nuggets a great sixth man off the bench in Braun. Watson is a more capable scorer and defender, and he was a much better three-point shooter than Braun last year. But both players were slowed by injuries last year, and that makes Julian Strawther that much more important in 2026-27.
Strawther needs to see more floor time, and head coach David Adelman can't be so cautious with playing young players anymore. He sat Strawther for the most part in the playoffs, and the Nuggets turned to possibly injured Braun against the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
The wild card here is new signing Alpha Diallo. Diallo was the Defensive Player of the Year in the EuroLeague in 2025-26. Diallo can defend against all five positions if you need him to, but he's best suited at the wing.
Small Forward
Early projection: Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, Alpha Diallo, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson
No surprise that Cameron Johnson leads at small forward. This is where the Nuggets are surprisingly deep now, with Diallo a big boost here for defensive help.
Overall, this is the Nuggets' strongest position defensively, and an excellent source of three-point shooting. In fact, this may be the deepest position group on the board, and the Nuggets need to make no more changes here for the upcoming season.
Power Forward
Early projection: Aaron Gordon, Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Brazile, Alpha Diallo, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji
Here's where question marks really start to hit. After Aaron Gordon, it makes sense for the Nuggets to deploy Marvin Bagley III, another of the Nuggets' free agent signings. Bagley can back up the four and five, and he should see plenty of minutes doing so for the Nuggets.
But after those two, it's up to the Nuggets' top draft pick and recent long-term signing Trevon Brazile to keep living up to the hype he's laying down in the Summer League. Brazile would give the Nuggets the option to stretch the floor with his three-point shot, and if teams cheat on him, he can just head to the rim and get a lob with his crazy athleticism.
Diallo can play the four just fine with his defense, but then the Nuggets run into the Holmes/Nnaji conundrum. Holmes was never given a chance last year, his rookie year, so we truly don't know what he could do yet. Nnaji, on the other hand, likely won't see much floor time and is a big candidate to be traded for a salary dump.
Center
Early projection: Nikola Jokic, Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Brazile, DaRon Holmes II
Of course, it's Nikola Jokic here, and I don't think anything needs to be said as to why he's leading the depth chart. But there has always been a "who's taking the non-Jokic minutes spot" question for the Nuggets for some time.
This year, it's Bagley. Bagley can play the four and five, and should see a hefty load of minutes spelling Joker and Gordon. Bagley provides improved defense, athleticism, and finishing ability around the rim, as well as excellent rebounding.
Brazile would be undersized and needs to add some strength to be a better backup center, but he can play the five, and may be a better option than Holmes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google