The Denver Nuggets have quietly had a busy offseason. Even outside of their blockbuster trade (which saw them part ways with Peyton Watson), the team lost Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas, while adding Marvin Bagley III and Lonnie Walker IV, and retaining Tyus Jones and Spencer Jones. And most recently, they signed six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan after he was bought out by the Sacramento Kings.
So, in order to make sense of where the perennial Western Conference is roster wise, here is their updated projected depth chart and rotation.
Updated 2026-27 Denver Nuggets depth chart
Remember, this depth chart is merely my opinion based on their current roster. We won't actually know what the team is thinking until Media Day, at the very least. Anyway, here is what I am thinking:
POSITION | FIRST STRING | SECOND STRING | THIRD STRING |
|---|---|---|---|
PG | Jamal Murray | Tyus Jones | KJ Simpson |
SG | Christian Braun | Julian Strawther | Alpha Diallo |
SF | Cam Johnson | DeMar DeRozan | Lonnie Walker IV |
PF | Aaron Gordon | Spencer Jones | DaRon Holmes II |
C | Nikola Jokić | Marvin Bagley III | Zeke Nnaji |
The Nuggets starting lineup of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokić was an absolute buzzsaw when they were all healthy in the regular season. According to Cleaning the Glass, that group was outscoring teams by 14.7 points per 100 possessions (80th percentile) in the 737 non-garbage time possessions they shared together. I don't expect this configuration to change, especially after they said goodbye to Watson.
The first guy off the bench will almost surely be DeRozan. DeRozan hasn't come off the bench since his rookie season (2009-10). Coming off the bench will already be a huge adjustment for the elder statesmen, I doubt that he'll settle for anything less than being the first guy off the bench. Besides, the team will need his scoring and ball handling to bolster their second units.
Despite all the cost-cutting they did, the team made it a point to keep Jones -- even with the Oklahoma City Thunder trying to snag the restricted free agent. His defense, athleticism, and physicality are going to be crucial to keeping this Nuggets team from being lapped by younger teams.
I am still super bullish on Julian Strawther. Through three years, Strawther hasn't really been able to carve out a consistent role for himself with the Nuggets. However, I think this is going to be the year it all comes together for Strawther. He's an excellent shooter, with some tantalizing off-the-dribble chops. Plus, the team is going to need his youthful vigor -- in the same way they need Jones.
The Jones who goes by "Tyus" will be the team's backup point guard, and Bagley III projects to be the team's first center off the bench. Although, I could see the team going to lineups with Gordon at the five -- much like they did in their 2023 title run.
The other two players to keep an eye on are Walker and DaRon Holmes II. Walker has been around the block, and while it seemed like he was on his way out of the league for awhile, I still think his length, shooting, and versatility can provide value to a winning team.
The Nuggets took Holmes in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. However, he missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn Achilles and spent most of last year trying to find his groove on a team that was a lot deeper than this one. The Nuggets clearly believed in Holmes at one point (they traded up with the Sacramento Kings to get him). So, I think he'll get a chance to break into the rotation this year.
At the outside of the rotation, the Nuggets have Zeke Nnaji (who the team will certiantly try to trade in order to save some more money), Alpha Diallo, and KJ Simpson.
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