Denver Nuggets fans were still celebrating the 2023 title when the first offseason hit came -- losing Bruce Brown to the Pacers in free agency. He signed a two-year, $45 million deal that Denver couldn't compete with. It was tough to watch a key part of the championship team leave so soon.
The Nuggets signed Brown to a two-year deal in 2022, with a $6.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season that he declined. He upped his value playing alongside Nikola Jokic, a common theme. As sad as it was to see him go, Brown got quite the payday. Fans were happy for him, but they began to speculate about whether Brown could return to the Nuggets, possibly in 2025 when his contract expired.
The cards lined up perfectly for Brown to reunite with Denver, as he agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Nuggets in free agency. Even better, he signed a veteran's minimum contract. Getting Brown back for that cheap is a win in itself for Denver.
The Nuggets have made several key moves so far this offseason, with the Brown signing being an absolute steal.
Nuggets getting Bruce Brown on a veteran's minimum deal is steal of the offseason
Brown ended the 2024-25 season in New Orleans, so he didn't play in the postseason. He was dropping hints that he wanted to return to Denver, even attending a Nuggets playoff game at Ball Arena. He re-shared the announcement that Denver named David Adelman the next head coach on his Instagram story.
The Nuggets' bench hasn't been the same since the 2022-23 season, and having Brown back in the mix is the kind of move Jokic wanted to see. Denver knows all about what kind of player Brown is, as the most complete season of his career occurred with the Nuggets. Brown averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 48.3% from the field and 35.8% from three in 80 contests (31 starts).
Brown bounced around the past two years, going from Indiana to Toronto at the beginning of 2024 as part of the Pascal Siakam trade. He was traded again midseason before the 2025 deadline, going from the Raptors to the Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram deal. He's finally back where he belongs.
The 28-year-old is ready to do whatever it takes to hang another banner at Ball. Fans know he'll give every game 110 percent -- that's the kind of player he is. He doesn't play like a veteran's minimum guy, that's for sure.