Nuggets' Updated Depth Chart After Peyton Watson and DeMar DeRozan Moves

The Denver Nuggets took a while to get the ball rolling in their 2026 offseason. They made some minor moves, like adding Marvin Bagley, Alpha Diallo, and rookie Trevon Brazile, and re-signing Spencer Jones and Tyus Jones, but they did not make the big moves we were waiting for until last week.

The Nuggets completed a sign-and-trade to send free agent wing Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, officially ending his tenure in Denver. Of course, that was a disappointing move, as fans expected the 23-year-old to be a cornerstone for this franchise, but they followed it up by adding 37-year-old veteran DeMar DeRozan.

While the Nuggets have not made as drastic roster changes as some fans expected, they have done enough to make us evaluate this new-look team.

Nuggets' updated depth chart

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Jamal Murray	Christian Braun	Cameron Johnson	Aaron Gordon	Nikola Jokic
Tyus Jones	Julian Strawther	DeMar DeRozan	Spencer Jones	Marvin Bagley
KJ Simpson (TW)	Lonnie Walker IV*	Alpha Diallo	Zeke Nnaji	DaRon Holmes
		Bryce Hopkins (TW)*	Trevon Brazile

A new-look bench

While DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and the NBA's 16th all-time scoring leader, we should not expect him to start in Denver. The Nuggets need some scoring and playmaking off the bench, and putting him in the second unit rather than Christian Braun or Cameron Johnson makes much more sense.

“I look at DeMar DeRozan as an absolute 𝑺𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑶𝑹 for the Nuggets’ bench.” 🙏@Xfinity

- @HarrisonWind 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/G3TIvRBp8n
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) August 22, 2026

This second unit of Jones-Strawther-DeRozan-Jones-Bagley is already better than what we saw before they signed the 17-year NBA veteran, but it still has its fair share of weaknesses. Most notably, the backcourt of Jones and Strawther has some question marks. Can Jones be a reliable backup point guard? Can Strawther take the next step as a consistent bench spark?

There are reasons to have faith in this new-look bench unit, especially with improved depth behind them. Guys like Diallo, Brazile, and Holmes offer hope for the Nuggets' deep bench, especially defensively. If they end up signing Walker to a standard contract, he is another offensive option they can lean on as well.

The usual starters

And, of course, we already know what the starting lineup is capable of. The five of Murray-Braun-Johnson-Gordon-Jokic is one of the best in the NBA when healthy, and that is their exact key to success. As long as this Nuggets group can stay healthy, there are reasons to believe they can compete for a title, but another injury-plagued season would destroy them.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and center Nikola Jokic and forward Aaron Gordon — Dec 30, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and center Nikola Jokic (15) and forward Aaron Gordon (50) following a score in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Ball Arena. | USA TODAY Sports

Last season, this Nuggets starting lineup was the third-best in the NBA (min. 300 minutes played) with a net rating of +13.5. Offensively, this lineup can do no wrong. While they have room to improve defensively, it was good enough to keep them afloat. This lineup had an 18-5 record when playing together, putting them on pace for a 64-win season.

Sure, some fans immediately expect DeRozan to start for the Nuggets, but why mess up what they have? The Nuggets already have one of the league's best starting lineups, and swapping out Braun for DeRozan does not guarantee any improvements. In fact, it could make things worse.

DeRozan will excel in the second unit because he can control the offense with the ball in his hands, setting up himself and his teammates. In the starting lineup, Jokic and Murray need the ball to make things work, so putting in another ball-dominant player could hurt the flow. Not to mention, DeRozan is a much worse defender than Braun. It would be surprising if the starting lineup shakes out differently than we project.

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