Projecting the Nuggets' Starting Lineup & Rotation After NBA Draft

The Denver Nuggets have officially crossed off their first major checkpoint of this offseason after moving past the 2026 NBA Draft, where they were able to add a couple of new young talents to the roster in the form of Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins in the second round at picks 35 and 49, respectively.

And now with two new rookies in the mix, it already leaves this Nuggets roster looking a little differently leading into next season––marking now a good time to take a step back and look at how this starting five and depth chart could be shaking out once we arrive at opening night in October.

What the Nuggets' Depth Chart Looks Like After the Draft

Without any major moves made to the Nuggets' roster outside of this week's draft, there aren’t too many changes of note from what last year's rotation looks like, at least in the days ahead of free agency.

In as unpredictable of an offseason as the Nuggets are in, there are many moves that can and will be made before next season gets rolling, especially with how free agency is preparing to go for Denver with guys like Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones.

But assuming the Nuggets can bring them back––considering they have their restricted free agent rights to do so while going over the cap––this is what the current landscape looks like for Denver's roster.

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Jamal Murray	Christian Braun	Cameron Johnson	Aaron Gordon	Nikola Jokic
Bruce Brown*	Julian Strawther	Peyton Watson*	Spencer Jones*	Jonas Valanciunas
Jalen Pickett	Bryce Hopkins	Trevon Brazile	DaRon Holmes	Zeke Nnaji

There are a few ins and outs of the roster that still need to be determined regarding how several decisions leading up free agency are set to transpire.

Jonas Valanciunas seems like a pretty clear bet to be off the roster in the coming days to weeks due to the cap flexibility the Nuggets can gain from cutting his non-guaranteed contract worth $10 million. That'll leave Zeke Nnaji as the next man up as Denver's backup center, but there's a chance he could be traded out as well.

Guards like Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. are slated to hit the free agent market in July, with the latter trending towards finding a better contract outside of Denver. Brown has a better chance of returning based on what he's projected to get on the open market.

Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) reacts after a basket and foul during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

We also don't know for sure whether or not Watson and Jones will be back on the roster next season. Denver does have the opportunity to re-sign both, but to say it's a 100% lock for both to be back onboard would be a little much.

And if both are indeed back on a new deal, it's fair to expect the front office to make some type of cost-cutting move involving one or more pieces of their starting five in the process in order to stay flexible under the tax, and more importantly, the second apron.

But at the very least, this core that's intact is still well worth a top-six seed in the Western Conference. That can be said for pretty much any team and surrounding cast that Nikola Jokic has to work with while he's still playing and in his prime.

However, the goal for the Nuggets this summer is to make the necessary strides that allow Denver to reach title contention once again–– not just getting to the postseason.

Time will tell how the Nuggets will attack their remaining roster needs and address their depth and defensive holes that remain, but don't be surprised if there end up being several changes to this roster by the time this Denver roster is back on an NBA floor next.

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