What our Denver Nuggets do with the last roster spot has been a topic of discussion throughout much of the offseason. Does the front office opt to address any potential shortcomings and fill them with an end-of-bench player? Or will the franchise prioritize flexibility and leave it open?
The new-look starting five appears set in stone, with Cameron Johnson replacing Michael Porter Jr. at small forward, while Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, Peyton Watson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. or Julian Strawther seem like solid bets to fill reserve roles off the bench.
Given Denver’s bolstered roster, whatever the team decides to do with the final roster spot should not have a consequential impact on its goals for the season. However unappealing filling that final roster spot might be for some players, the team recently signed Kessler Edwards to an Exhibit 10 deal, and myriad viable options still stand out on the list of unsigned free agents.
Holes on the Nuggets Roster
Peek at the Denver roster, and you’ll see a few gaps to plug ahead of the 2025-26 season. I’d contend that the three biggest needs on the roster include backup guard, third center, and depth forward.
Backup Guard
Brown and Jalen Pickett are expected to slot in behind Jamal Murray in Russell Westbrook’s stead. And the two-guard seems set with Christian Braun starting and Hardaway Jr. and Julian Strawther fighting for a reserve role.
Brown exhibited some prowess as a ballhandler off the bench in his previous Nuggets stint and is, of course, a Mile High City legend for his exploits throughout the 2023 championship run. However, Brown has struggled a bit outside of the Nuggets’ ecosystem since signing with the Pacers following the title run.
Pickett, on the other hand, played some of his basketball during last season’s stretch run, including securing his first career triple-double in a March loss to the Spurs, but he didn’t make an impact on the postseason. I still believe in Pickett and think that the third point guard is his ideal role at this point.
At this point in the offseason, I’d argue the best options left in free agency include Malcom Brogdon (rumored to sign with the Golden State Warriors), Westbrook, Gary Payton II, and Dalano Banton. Lonnie Walker IV, De’Anthony Melton, and Brandon Boston also remain free agents. And an ex-Nugget in some hot water, Malik Beasley, is also someone to monitor once his legal and financial situation clears up.
Third Center
Behind Nikola Jokic, Valanciunas should seriously bolster the Nuggets’ bench big situation. Easily the best player in that role for Denver since DeMarcus Cousins or possibly even Mason Plumlee, Big Val should steady the reserves and provide a sorely lacking scoring punch to the second unit.
But behind the two European big men, the Nuggets roster is quite thin. Should the situation arise, does David Adelman turn to the undersized Zeke Nnaji or a rookie working his way back from a devastating Achilles injury in DaRon Holmes II at center? At this point, it feels to me like both Nnaji and Holmes would be better suited playing the four, not the five.
With that said, the third center options on the market are rough. Given Al Horford’s likely union with Golden State, very few true centers remain available. From older players like Bismack Biyombo, DeAndre Jordan, Tristan Thompson, and Taj Gibson to less well-established centers like Charles Bassey or ex-Nugget Bol Bol, none of the remaining big-man options inspires a heck of a lot of confidence.
Depth Forward
After signing Kessler Edwards, the Nuggets seemingly have decent forward depth behind Johnson and Aaron Gordon. Watson is penciled in as the first forward off the bench, impacting the game with his defensive skill set, but the situation becomes murkier after that.
Does sixth-year forward Nnaji finally make the leap and seize a spot in the rotation? How will Holmes look battling back from his injury last summer? Can Hunter Tyson break out of his season-long shooting slump and make a difference at the NBA level? Or will a two-way player like Spencer Jones or an Exhibit 10 guy like Edwards make a move during training camp to earn playing time in the regular season?
Should the front office not trust the options available, Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace can look at options like Chris Boucher, Amir Coffey, Precious Achiuwa, Ben Simmons, or former Nugget Trey Lyles for more depth at the small and power forward positions.
Who Should Fill the Nuggets’ Final Roster Spot?
Assessing the current roster situation, I think the team’s greatest need is a backup guard, someone who can ease Murray’s load and enhance defensive rotation as a point-of-attack container.
Should Brogdon make the move to the Bay Area, as is reported, I’d turn either to Banton or GPII, two very different players.
Banton, a lanky 6-foot-9 wing with an even longer wingspan, played in college at Western Kentucky and Nebraska before being the first Canadian player ever drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He broke out with the Blazers over the last two seasons, averaging 10.9 points on almost 40% shooting and 32% from three, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. With unique size for a guard, Banton’s a fun player who can provide a bench scoring spark and can contribute with his length on defense, even if he’s not known as the best defender.
Payton II, the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton, is a tenacious defender who can immediately take on any opponent’s primary scorer at the guard position. A versatile point-of-attack defender, GPII would immediately plug the defensive hole left by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure last offseason and allow the team to rotate more easily behind him. Plus, Young Glove is also a 34% three-point shooter throughout his career.
All of this aside, I believe the Nuggets will leave the last roster spot open, prioritizing flexibility throughout the season. By leaving that spot open, the team can tackle any issues that arise during the course of the season, from injury to underperformance to an unexpected player on the buyout market or even a two-for-one trade.
Keeping the last roster spot open is the most likely course of action, but will it prove to be the most prudent? Only time will tell.
Here’s to hoping the Nuggets have enough depth and versatility on the roster between the 14 players under contract and three two-way guys. If not, the decision surrounding the final remaining open roster spot will take on increased importance as our Nuggets seek to return to the NBA’s mountaintop.