Bulls’ Latest Cut Could Be Ideal Nuggets Fit

Over the weekend, the NBA saw a notable three-team trade go down between the Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Chicago Bulls that would provide a nice trade deadline spark less than a week from the league's cutoff.

De'Andre Hunter was sent to the Kings, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis would go to Cleveland, and a pair of second-round picks with Dario Saric would be sent to the Bulls. All in all, a productive three-team deal that gave each side what they wanted to get out of a significant deadline swap.

BREAKING: The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, sources tell ESPN. The three-team deal includes the Chicago Bulls acquiring Kings forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks. pic.twitter.com/Hoc6bP0hhj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2026

However, in the midst of that trade shaking out, the Bulls in particular made an eye-catching move to their roster to make space for Saric— that was waiving guard Jevon Carter; a veteran backcourt defender who was in and out of Chicago's rotation who now has a chance to seek out a new opportunity for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

The Bulls are waiving guard Jevon Carter to create space for Saric, sources said. They emerged as a third team and received assets to consummate the trade. https://t.co/yzzxYA8I2X
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2026

Enter the Denver Nuggets; not exactly a team that's linked with any interest in Carter up to this point, but if the stars align, it could be an appealing destination for the now-former Bulls guard to target.

Could the Nuggets Utilize Jevon Carter?

On paper, the fit for Carter to join a depth piece in the Nuggets' rotation does make a good bit of sense.

Carter has welcomed NBA experience of eight years that would be valuable for a championship-ready team like Denver. But more importantly, Carter's defensive-focused play style could fit exactly what the Nuggets' backcourt needs, if the front office were to entertain any roster upgrades.

Through his latest campaign with the Bulls, Carter averaged 5.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, and over half a steal (0.6) per night within 11 minutes a game, but struggled to carve out a significant rotation role in Chicago with their abundance of guards in the mix.

Nov 24, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jevon Carter (5) brings the ball up court against New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (not pictured) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Carter, on a championship-ready team like the Nuggets are, might not be getting consistent minutes on a nightly basis in the Mile High either. However, as a depth piece that can plug into a rotation that's faced multiple key injuries throughout the season, and help balance Denver's lackluster defense in the process, there's appeal to be had in the front office.

The Nuggets do have an available roster spot on their main roster, having only signed 14 traditional contracts. That means Carter technically would have room to sign on if Denver had interest.

The one wrinkle that stops that, though, is the expectation for Denver to utilize that spot for two-way standout Spencer Jones. He's expected to convert to a traditional deal for the remainder of the season once his two-way eligibility runs dry, which will come in the next week of games he's active for.

That means if the Nuggets did want to bring on Carter, they’d have to carve out likely another roster spot to fit both him and Jones on, thus complicating the process a bit more. But with the trade deadline right around the corner, there's ample opportunity for Denver to tweak the bottom of their roster for that extra space, if they so desired.

As the Nuggets roster begins to make its final tweaks in the coming weeks before the playoffs ensue and the trade deadline arrives, keep an eye on Carter as an ideal piece to fit into Denver's championship puzzle.

Could the Nuggets Utilize Jevon Carter?

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