The Denver Nuggets roster is finally rounding itself out after the Peyton Watson trade and the DeMar DeRozan signing. They're currently sitting at 14 signed players, one two-way player, and one player who has a chance to make the roster out of training camp, Lonnie Walker IV. Bryce Hopkins, the 49th pick of the second round of the NBA Draft, has also not been signed, but it's widely believed he'll fill one of the two remaining two-way spots available.
For the purposes of this revamped depth chart, I'll put Hopkins on the roster but not Walker, as the Nuggets likely won't carry 15 players (14 is required; 15 is the max). The roster is still in flux, as the Nuggets are the only team in the league currently over the second-apron luxury tax penalty threshold. It's expected the Nuggets will make a move to get under that line.
The depth chart truly shows how thin the Nuggets are behind their starting unit. DeRozan's addition is key to the bench scoring because there wasn't much scoring left from the bench after Watson's departure.
Point Guard
Early projection: Jamal Murray, Tyus Jones, KJ Simpson (two-way), DeMar DeRozan
Of course, Jamal Murray is the lead point guard. But there's a desert behind him. The Nuggets signed Tyus Jones for his excellent ball control, one of their stated needs to fill this offseason. But he's an undersized defender who can't create shots for himself, and he's just not a scorer. Nuggets head coach David Adelman is going to have to get creative with the lineups he uses with Jones on the floor, but at least he has another scoring option to pair with Jones thanks to the DeRozan signing.
Speaking of DeRozan, there's a chance the Nuggets could use him as a point-forward, kind of like his role was with the San Antonio Spurs. DeRozan averaged 6.2, 5.9, and 6.9 assists in his three seasons with the Spurs, playing more of a facilitator role. DeRozan runs the pick-and-roll like a master, and he'd fit great next to Nikola Jokic in the two-man game department thanks to his fantastic mid-range jumper.
Shooting Guard
Early projection: Christian Braun, DeMar DeRozan, Julian Strawther
Christian Braun should be the starter for the Nuggets over DeRozan. Braun's a superior defender, and he should be given the chance to prove he's worth his large contract. Braun battled injuries last year and regressed quite a bit from the 2024-25 season, but if he's able to replicate or improve on the 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals of 2024-25, he'll be well on his way to silencing the many critics (me included) that there have been this offseason.
Behind Braun, DeRozan should see plenty of minutes split between point-forward and small forward as well, but primarily he'll be working to create points for the bench unit as the replacement in this same spot for Tim Hardaway Jr., who last season finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year Award voting.
Strawther becomes the odd man out at shooting guard, just like last year. His lack of perimeter defense really hurts his chances of breaking into the rotation consistently unless there are some injuries in front of him, like last year.
Small Forward
Early projection: Cameron Johnson, Alpha Diallo, Bryce Hopkins (two-way)
There are no surprises or battles for any of the Nuggets' starting spots, and small forward is no exception for Cameron Johnson. He'll start, and for now, it looks like the EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year, 29-year-old rookie Alpha Diallo, will be the primary backup.
Diallo could be a sleeper for the Nuggets. We don't know how his defensive skills will translate to the NBA, but given the Nuggets' lack of defensive depth, Diallo should have no problem getting his fill of minutes behind Cam. Diallo could also get extra minutes guarding opposing shooting guards as well.
Power Forward
Early projection: Aaron Gordon, Spencer Jones, Trevon Brazile, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji
It's actually kind of fitting that power forward has the most bodies ready to go behind Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets need to keep him rested this season, so Spencer Jones will see plenty of starts again. Jones drew 37 starts in 64 games in 2025-26, starting the season out on a two-way contract, and he turned that into a two-year standard contract when the Nuggets matched his offer sheet from the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason.
But behind Jones is where it gets murky. I think the Nuggets should give rookie Trevon Brazile some run over both DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji. Brazile showed during the Las Vegas Summer League that he is not only athletic, but he can also stretch the defense and score from deep. Brazile had a game of 32 points on 6-for-12 shooting from three.
Nnaji hasn't been a rotational player for the Nuggets in his six seasons in Denver, and that doesn't look to be changing in year seven. Holmes should be given a shot before Nnaji if someone in front of this duo gets injured.
Center
Early projection: Nikola Jokic, Marvin Bagley III
There isn't much to say here. It's Joker's job unless he misses time for rest or injury. The Nuggets got Marvin Bagley III to take over for the departed Jonas Valanciunas, and he should provide a nice upgrade in the athleticism and defense side of things for the non-Jokic minutes. Bagley can also play alongside Jokic as a backup for AG if needed.
The Nuggets have some flexibility that they can use to cover the thinness of the depth. Head coach Adelman is going to have to be creative and keep the rotations shallow. Unfortunately, that creates a much larger workload for the starters. There's definitely going to be some flux in the rotation to start the season to find the best lineup combination.
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