The Denver Nuggets have always thought highly of DaRon Holmes II. That's why it's a conundrum to see him sitting on the bench except in garbage time, all the while he was putting up All-Star worthy numbers for the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets' G-League affiliate. Maybe they just wanted to wait one more season to unleash their potential secret weapon? Ok, maybe a stretch.
The Nuggets traded three second-round picks and Ryan Dunn for Holmes at the 22nd pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. And this past offseason, they extended the 6-foot-9 forward from Dayton on his third-year team option before he had even played his first NBA game. Holmes' debut was delayed by a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in his first summer league game for the Nuggets in 2024, and he missed the entire 2024-25 season.
But they need to test out the former first-round pick in a bench role this year to see what they're working with. Something they didn't do this season. They need depth. They should develop it, starting with Holmes.
DaRon Holmes could be worth a deep rotation spot
At the very least, the Nuggets need to find out what they have with Holmes before they exercise his option or extend him. That means getting the three-point shooting big man some floor time in a role that fits him.
Holmes was either playing when the game was out of hand in the fourth quarter for the closing minutes, or thrust into the starting lineup along with other players from the Nuggets bench to cover holes from injuries to Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson. He wasn't necessarily asked to play the reserve role off the bench. And that's a fumble by the Nuggets.
The talent could be there. Holmes averaged 20.4 points and 8.5 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game his junior year at Dayton, and that lines up with the 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds he put up in the G-League in 37.6 minutes per game. He just truly needs a chance to come in and play against other second units, the role he's best suited for at the moment with the Nuggets.
What was the point of exercising Holmes' option?
Sure, it was a shame that Holmes lost a year of development due to the Achilles tendon injury, but what exactly was the point of exercising his option before he even played a game?
Was he simply a cheap roster space to fit the Kroenkes plan of ducking the salary tax the next two years to avoid the repeater tax penalties? We'll find out as the offseason progresses and the Nuggets telegraph their plans with early moves.
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