We are very early in the season. There are a ton of games yet to play. But it already seems like rookie forward Trevon Brazile could single-handedly help the Denver Nuggets start pulling themselves away from financial doom. Landing a rotation player on a cheap contract is huge, and that’s exactly what Brazile is shaping up to be.
Brazile has been an integral part of the Nuggets' rotation thus far, and on Saturday night, he was a huge part of their comeback win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Without him, they probably wouldn’t have won that game. And he already seems like he’s earned the trust of David Adelman.
The rookie has a chance to be a massive part of the Nuggets’ lineup early in the season (and beyond), which would give the Nuggets a nice, inexpensive boost.
Trevon Brazile can be the steal the Nuggets need
For the better part of the last three years, the Nuggets have been battling financial issues. They don’t want to pay the taxes that come with being a second-apron team, not to mention the roster-building penalties that come with it.
So, finding cheap players is key. They didn’t want to pay Peyton Watson this summer. They flipped Michael Porter Jr.’s expensive contract for a cheaper one. And if you go back even further, they decided to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown walk after the title year.
If Denver wants to remain a serious championship contender in a league that is getting more and more talented by the year, they need to find a way to add talent without paying for it. That could be Brazile.
Brazile was a second-round pick this offseason. The Nuggets selected him with the No. 35 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. And he already looks like a steal.
In the Nuggets’ comeback win over the Pelicans on Saturday night, Brazile came off the bench. But by the end of the night, he was playing overtime minutes and helping Denver seal the victory.
The rookie finished the night with 17 points, nine rebounds, one steal, and two blocks. He shot 6-of-11 from the field, 3-of-7 from deep range, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Included in those stats was a clutch three with just a couple of minutes to go in OT and an offensive rebound put-back off his own missed free throw that helped Denver stay ahead.
Brazile made winning plays over and over and over again. And if he can cement himself as a real rotation piece (on a cheap contract), it could help the Nuggets compete while also avoiding the financial pitfall of the second apron.
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