Ranking Which Nuggets Departures Will Be Missed Most This Season

The Denver Nuggets' roster has seen a few key changes entering the 2026-27 season––especially surrounding their bench unit.

Following multiple signings, trades, and tweaks throughout the past several months, this Nuggets roster has had several departures see their way out.

And some of those losses that have taken place might not mean much at all for the Nuggets. Perhaps they're replaceable players, or guys that the team has already done a decent job replacing throughout the summer.

Others, however, are bound to hurt Denver and the success of their rotation a bit more this coming season.

Let's take a look at four of the most notable departures the Nuggets have seen over the course of this offseason, and rank just how much their loss will rattle Denver's rotation heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

4. Jonas Valanciunas

Apr 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It feels like Valanciunas' loss is bound to be felt the least among the Nuggets' offseason departures, and that's not because of a lack of skills on the veteran big man's part. He had a really productive season in Denver for the 2025-26 campaign in the limited minutes he played.

But the Nuggets don't exactly need a ton of big man depth on their roster. They have one of the best players in the world in Nikola Jokic playing most of the minutes at the five on a nightly basis.

Cutting Valanciunas to save salary cap space, while signing Marvin Bagley to a minimum deal, was the right move for Denver to make, considering the circumstances, and won't leave much of a dent in the Nuggets' center room next season, either.

3. Bruce Brown

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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there is a world where the Nuggets could still bring back Brown on a new deal before next season, considering they still haven't come to an agreement nearing September isn't the greatest sign that he'll be back for another year.

And while the Nuggets' second unit will be able to stay afloat without the presence of Brown––who was active for each of Denver’s 82 games throughout last season––it would look a bit better with him onboard as another layer of backcourt depth that this team doesn't have signed right now. That's even after factoring in some of his fit concerns from last season.

2. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is where the losses really start to be felt for the Nuggets, because the loss of a Sixth Man of the Year candidate like Hardaway Jr. is far from easy to stomach for any team's second unit.

But Hardaway's presence on this bench was a perfect fit. He was a key cog in the machine that made this Nuggets offense the best-rated unit in the NBA. He had the ability to play off-the-ball and on the perimeter that connected with this system, and turned into one of his best seasons in recent memory.

Without him, this Nuggets bench does take a big hit, and will be hard to rise to the level it once was this past season.

1. Peyton Watson

Mar 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's no question about which loss is going to hurt most on this Nuggets roster: it's their newly-traded forward Peyton Watson, who really brought exactly what Denver needed to their rotation entering next season.

Watson was the Nuggets' youngest player on the rpster at just 23 years old. He came off a career season to become Denver's best rising young talent to provide an ideal mix of athleticism, defensive ability, and offensive upside that made him look like a future fixture in the rotation for years to come.

But the Nuggets let go of him in exchange for a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers. And outside of their signing for DeMar DeRozan––who is quite the polar opposite forward as Watson––they haven't made much of an effort to replace his presence in this rotation.

This loss is going to sting, big-time.

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