Where do the Denver Nuggets go from here? They've now released as many players as they've signed, and with only 10 roster spots filled, they have a long way to go to fill out the final five. We're deep into the free agency signing window, and outside of a LeBron James link and Peyton Watson grumblings, the Nuggets have sat on their hands. The offseason crystal ball keeps getting cloudier by the passing day.
The Denver Nuggets are waiving veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, sources tell ESPN. Valanciunas is expected to receive interest from multiple NBA teams.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2026
It was widely expected that the Nuggets would part ways with backup center Jonas Valanciunas to save cap space, freeing up an extra $8 million that can be split amongst multiple minimum contracts. It made sense from the money standpoint and the basketball standpoint, with Valanciunas having been replaced by free-agent signing of Marvin Bagley III.
But that was the only clear thing left for the Nuggets. Now, nine days into the free-agent and offseason window, the Nuggets still have not re-signed notable Nuggets restricted free agents Watson or Spencer Jones, and, besides Bagley, they've only added Tyus Jones as backup-backup guard depth.
How will the Nuggets construct their roster?
The million-dollar question in Nuggets land right now is, "How will the Nuggets construct the rest of their roster?" The hope is that the Nuggets can get a good deal to re-sign Watson, but grumblings suggest the Los Angeles Clippers might be interested. Without Watson, it gets even tougher to figure out the puzzle.
And now the rumors are starting to get louder that the Nuggets are out of the race for LeBron James in free agency. Nothing is official there, but with the Nuggets not presenting him a full team to look at, it cannot be helping their chances. Plus, the Nuggets, without the option to offer more than a veteran minimum, have had to watch a bunch of free agents go, leaving them with just the leftovers.
At least the leftovers have someone like DeMar DeRozan available, but he won't help the Nuggets improve. He's a good offensive player, but the Nuggets' defense isn't good enough to bail him out. Or maybe it would be if they sign second-round draft pick Trevon Brazile, who excels on help-side defense in the paint and could cover for DeRozan on the second unit.
The point I'm trying to make is that there aren't many great options left on the market, and it makes it even more confusing trying to guess what the Nuggets will do next. And this hasn't even factored in whether the Nuggets will salary-dump anyone via trade to save on the luxury taxes owed.
They're definitely not going to greatly improve without a magical LeBron signing or making a significant trade. But the Nuggets better get going, or the options will be even slimmer the longer we all wait.
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