The Denver Nuggets bench is truly lacking this season, especially at backup point guard. It's frustrating enough that they only have Tyus Jones to back up Jamal Murray, but to find out that the Nuggets did have interest in the newly signed Golden State Warrior, Brandon Williams, and didn't reach an agreement with him just adds to the maddening situation. It's another whiff for the front office this summer.
In a story in the San Francisco Chronicle, Luca Evans confirmed the Nuggets' interest in Williams. He doesn't say when the Nuggets showed interest in Williams, but he says "Williams previously received interest from the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets on the open market."
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Golden State Warriors had reached a one-year minimum contract deal with the 26-year-old former Dallas Maverick. Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Nuggets' need for a backup point guard and highlighted Williams amongst the three best point guards remaining on the free agent market that the Nuggets could likely pick up on a minimum contract. Why would Williams have been such a great fit for the Nuggets' second unit?
The Nuggets missed out on a true athletic, rim-attacking point guard
Whereas Jones is just a ball-control expert who lacks little else to provide to the Nuggets, Williams had plenty of positives. The biggest positive being the offensive upside. Williams averaged 13.0 points in 22 minutes per game for the Mavericks in 2025-26, shooting 47.2% from the field thanks to his athleticism and ability to attack the rim. The Nuggets desperately need a driving point guard who can score in the paint and draw in the defense to open up the perimeter for more open three-point looks.
That athleticism and downhill attack also drew plenty of fouls, and Williams' per-36-minute free-throw attempts (7.5) were good enough for 12th in the NBA. Williams knocked down free throws at 79.3% last year, so he would have been a great source of bench scoring, which the Nuggets are in desperate need of despite signing DeMar DeRozan to lead the second unit.
The Nuggets are in trouble if Jamal Murray gets hurt
Murray hasn't exactly been a picture of health in his career, and if the Nuggets lose him for an extended period, it could get ugly with just Jones in the backcourt. I would think that if that scenario happens, the Nuggets would pivot to a point-forward role for DeRozan to carry the weight, and keep Jones in the backup spot.
That's not an ideal situation, either. But the Nuggets nearly had one if they could have signed Williams. Chalk it up as another whiff in an offseason that seems to be filled with them.
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