The Nuggets should be racing to pick up the latest veteran to hit the open market

I’ve mostly come to terms with the Nuggets roster and have talked myself into things working out. I’ve bought in on Christian Braun replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup, I’ve talked myself into Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson taking big leaps, and I’ve even talked myself into the veteran additions of Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric.

But something still feels missing. One more reliable veteran off the bench to provide shooting and leadership would go a long way. The team has a pretty clear nine-man rotation, but one more trusty, versatile wing player to come off the bench would be a massive boost.

Previously, I advocated for the Nuggets to inquire about the availability of PJ Tucker once it became clear his time with the Clippers was done. Tucker is an absolute dog and would be a great veteran leader to add to the mix, but he’s far from a perfect fit.

For one, Tucker is essentially a zero on offense at this point in his career. Furthermore, he is still under contract and it would take some work for the Nuggets to match his salary and send out assets for a player who may not even be playable anymore.

The Nuggets should try to sign Lonnie Walker IV

On Saturday, a much more compelling option emerged for Denver in the form of Lonnie Walker. Walker, the six-year veteran has bounced around the league but made splashes for multiple teams off the bench, even starring in a few games for the Lakers during their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. 

Walker is an excellent microwave scorer and can be a big guard or smaller wing with some serious athleticism. He has decent handling and playmaking chops and he can guard his position ably. Surprisingly, Walker hasn’t found a more permanent home, but with the current CBA, he’s a player that doesn’t make sense for a lot of teams.

He did make sense for the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, who signed Walker to an exhibit-10 deal, carrying him through training camp and preseason. But he fell victim to the roster crunch as the Celtics waived him over the weekend. Now Walker has cleared waivers and become a free agent.

The Nuggets are an older contending team that should be reaching out to Walker immediately. He’d be an excellent addition to the bench and the team could offer him real minutes on a contending team. They could add him for just a minimum contract and would just have to waive a player like Jalen Pickett or Hunter Tyson.

Other than to save a few bucks, there is zero reason for the Nuggets not to do this. This could be a gift for the team to be able to upgrade the roster - and even the rotation - so cheaply. Adding Walker is a no-brainer and could be a huge boost for the Nuggets’ depth.