The Denver Nuggets were slow to start the offseason, but they've made a couple of roster moves over the last week that have set the wheels in motion on a new-look rotation for the 2026-27 season. Peyton Watson's been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Nuggets signed DeMar DeRozan to take on the offensive scoring load off the bench. We don't know what head coach David Adelman and his assistants will come up with, but that doesn't mean we can't speculate on what the rotation will likely look like.
The starting five is set. Mostly.
The top of the Nuggets rotation won't offer any surprises. Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, and Jamal Murray are all penciled in as starters. Christian Braun should hold onto his starting spot over DeMar DeRozan, but there's an outside chance that Adelman could try out Braun off the bench. But it's not likely.
The biggest addendum to the starting lineup will be when Gordon sits for rest. How much rest do the Nuggets get for Gordon? Hopefully, plenty. Spencer Jones, who started 37 games mostly for the injured Gordon in 2025-26, should reprise his role once again when Gordon sits out.
Point Guard: Jamal Murray
Shooting Guard: Christian Braun
Small Forward: Cameron Johnson
Power Forward: Aaron Gordon
Center: Nikola Jokic
The bench rotation could still be solid if the Nuggets go shallow
It's no secret that the Nuggets bench is thin, but the rotation could still be pretty decent if the Nuggets go with a shallower look. DeMar DeRozan is absolutely going to be the sixth man, and he'll see plenty of minutes both with the starters and the second unit. He'll give the non-Jokic minutes the scoring boost it needs, but he'll have a different look than former Nuggets sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr., who did most of his damage from three-point range.
DeRozan will get his points in the mid-range or at the free-throw line rather than the perimeter, but the Nuggets will definitely be lacking in three-point volume from the second unit, as Hardaway made 224 from downtown and Watson shot 41.1%. However, Spencer Jones shoots a much higher percentage from three than his jumper would suggest. Spencer shot 39.6% from deep in 2025-26.
Spencer also provides solid defense, and he won't have to play as the center in the small-ball lineup as long as Marvin Bagley III does his part as the answer to the non-Jokic minutes for 2026-27. Bagley will be the main backup center, but there's a chance the Nuggets could use him to spell Gordon as well, while sliding down Spencer to give Johnson a breather. There's a bit of flexibility here for Adelman to work with.
Speaking of flexibility, Alpha Diallo, the 29-year-old rookie defensive specialist, can guard the one through the four, so he could see a lot more playing time than initially thought if his defense warrants it. Diallo is the Nuggets' answer for Watson's defense, so I would expect to see him on the court a lot.
The top nine for the Nuggets are pretty solid, but someone has to back up and spell Murray at point guard, and Tyus Jones is currently occupying that spot. Tyus may not see many minutes, and it's possible the Nuggets use DeRozan in the point-forward spot like he was often used during his time with the San Antonio Spurs.
Sixth Man: DeMar DeRozan
Next up: Spencer Jones
Next up: Alpha Diallo
Non-Jokic Center: Marvin Bagley
Non-Murray PG: Tyus Jones / Demar DeRozan
The rest of the bench is up in the air
Those should be the top 10 players and the most-used rotation for the Nuggets in 2026-27 as the roster stands now. The rest of the roster should just remain as depth unless someone from the top 10 rotational players gets hurt.
Zeke Nnaji hasn't broken into the rotation at any point during his six years in Denver, and DaRon Holmes II and Trevon Brazile should both get a chance to impress if they're needed before Nnaji. And Julian Strawther is once again the likely odd-man out at shooting guard and small forward.
The Nuggets' top nine isn't too bad. But after that is where the falloff in depth really begins.
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