The 2026 NBA Draft gave the Denver Nuggets two exciting second-round draft picks in Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins. And now the Nuggets may have just hired the right coach to help develop and unlock the two rookies' full potential, along with the plethora of other rookies and inexperienced players on the roster.
The Denver Nuggets are hiring Austin Dufault as Assistant Coach / VP of Player Development, sources told @hoopshype. He was Director of Player Development for the Chicago Bulls. Prior, he was a Detroit Pistons assistant coach. The former Colorado Buffaloes forward returns home. pic.twitter.com/W5qbPJJCkw
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 17, 2026
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that the Nuggets are bringing in Austin Dufault to be an Assistant Coach and Vice President of Player Development. Dufault never played in the NBA. But he has been in player development and coaching since his debut in those roles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, followed by time with the Detroit Pistons and most recently as the Director of Player Development for the Chicago Bulls.
It's a homecoming of sorts for Dufault, who played his college ball just up the road, where the Nuggets will host a preseason game at CU Boulder. Dufault is still the all-time leader in games played for the Buffs.
The Nuggets have plenty of players to help develop this year
2025-26 saw the Nuggets sign veteran talent in the offseason, including Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, and trade for Jonas Valanciunas. None of them are back for 2026-27, and they've been replaced by much younger players like 23-year-old rookie Brazile, a 29-year-old rookie with nothing but overseas playing experience in Alpha Diallo, and other young players like Spencer Jones, Julian Strawther, DaRon Holmes II, and two-way player KJ Simpson. The Nuggets are yet to make any contract offer to second-round pick Hopkins, but he figures to fit in as either a two-way player or a final roster addition.
So it makes sense that the Nuggets would bring in extra help to coach and develop the younger players. The Nuggets will likely be playing Strawther a lot given the lack of depth at shooting guard, and they really need him to make a leap this season, his last on his four-year rookie contract.
Brazile figures to get plenty of run given his athleticism and ability to stretch the defense, and Diallo should get plenty of run as a defensive specialist. Plus, if Peyton Watson returns, you can add him to the list of younger players that should be getting plenty of playing time and assistance from Dufault.
Hopefully, Dufault helps the younger players take a leap forward, because the Nuggets' championship window is closing rapidly around Nikola Jokic, and that may be the only way to get better. Getting the most out of the younger players on the roster will be a key development to watch this season.
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