While other Denver Nuggets are taking the summer off for some much-needed rest and relaxation, two former Nuggets first-round picks, DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji, have been spotted getting reps in with other NBA players, playing pick-up ball. It's light competition, of course, but it's a welcome sight to see both players, who are on the chopping block for rotational minutes, out working on their skills in preparation for the 2026-27 season.
Holmes and Nnaji are spending time playing with the likes of Washington Wizards guard Trae Young, San Antonio Spurs 2025 first-round pick Carter Bryant, the New Orleans Pelicans guard Kobe Bufkin, and former CU Buff and 11-year NBA veteran Spencer Dinwiddie. Again, not the stiffest of competition or level of play, but it's always great to see the extra work that these guys put in during the offseason.
Both Nnaji and Holmes were fighting for minutes last year, and both mostly played in garbage time or only when there were no other options. They need the extra polish to break into the rotation next year, and improving to look better in the eyes of other suitors for a trade isn't a bad consolation for the Nuggets.
Nnaji and Holmes both need strong training camps
Nnaji and Holmes are both likely to lose rotation spots to the Nuggets' second-round super-athletic draft pick and newly signed Trevon Brazile. But with strong training camps and offseason work, they could still force their way into that rotation spot.
But both players are different dynamically. Zeke's the better defender, and you can see it in the video. He had a block in the highlights, and he was much more mobile on the perimeter, whereas Holmes wasn't seen doing much in the way of defense.
Holmes is the better offensive player, and he knocked down a couple of threes in the pickup game, but Nnaji did so as well. That is a great sign for Nnaji, because any little bit of improvement in his game may go a long way for the Nuggets in offloading his salary via trade.
But, realistically, the door should be wide open for either Nnaji or Holmes to snag some minutes as long as they have a strong camp showing and impress Nuggets head coach David Adelman. It would be great to see Nnaji finally break through, but after six seasons, I won't hold my breath. Holmes should get a decent chance this year, but again, with Brazile on board, that is up in the air.
Either way, it's good to see these guys putting in the reps during the summer. Unfortunately, there is a lot more summer to go before training camp opens in late September.
Add us as a preferred source on Google