A lot went wrong for the Nuggets this season, but one thing that couldn’t have worked out much better was the team’s veteran minimum free agency signings of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. Denver has struggled to fill out the roster with veterans in free agency recently, especially since, ironically, Brown’s departure after the 2023 title.
But last summer, the new front office made a concerted effort to win the margins, and they hit two home runs, paying under $4.6 million combined for THJ and Brucey B. Hardaway Jr. played in 80 games at 26.6 minutes per game, while Brown appeared in all 82 contests, putting up 24.4 minutes a night.
Nuggets hit home runs with Hardaway Jr. and Brown on minimums
They were two of the most reliable players on the team this season, with THJ coming in third place for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award, scoring 13.5 points per game on 40.7% three-point shooting. The Nuggets needed bench scoring and shooting, and Tim brought those in spades, about as well as anybody could have possibly hoped.
Brown gave the team secondary playmaking, much-needed defensive versatility, and veteran leadership with the same edge that helped win a championship in 2023. He put up 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists a game while hitting 38.5% of his threes, but his impact went well beyond the box score.
Despite that, the Nuggets still weren’t able to advance past round one of the playoffs, and now the team is looking at much bigger moves this offseason. And while there’s no denying that they need some changes at the top, they can’t forget about the margins or take for granted the insane return on investment they got from two minimum signings.
Denver must recreate free agency magic
Brown and Hardaway have likely both earned bigger deals if they want them, but maybe they’ll stay in Denver. If not, Jon Wallace, Ben Tenzer, and the rest of the decision-makers need to be scouring the market for similar discount values who can help them survive the rigors of the grueling 82-game regular season, especially as stars like Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon age into their 30s.
With how disappointingly the season ended, it may not feel this way now, but the Nuggets basically hit the lottery in free agency. A team that had no spending power and wasn’t looking to go over the luxury tax was able to take on two meaningful role players for minimums. That’s rare and something that’s going to be very hard to replicate.
If Denver isn’t careful and diligent this offseason, the larger moves they make won’t even matter if they aren’t able to supplement themselves with talent up and down the roster. Everyone is focused on the potential blockbuster deals, but in a world where we just saw the likes of Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet help swing the NBA Finals, we can’t forget about the margins.
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