What to Expect From the Nuggets' New-Look Rotation, and Why It Will Work

The Denver Nuggets have made some minor roster adjustments this offseason, and while they have lacked the big splash that many fans initially expected, they have still tweaked some things following their disappointing first-round playoff exit. It is hard to say if the Nuggets' roster has improved this offseason, but there is still some hope that this can be a successful team.

The Nuggets' new-look rotation might not be jumping off the page to give Denver fans immediate championship aspirations, but it has the potential to get there.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and center Nikola Jokic — Apr 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and center Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Starters: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic

Of course, since the Nuggets have failed to make any drastic changes, the starting lineup is staying the same. However, while this was the Nuggets' primary starting five last season, they only played 23 games together due to injuries.

In their 23 appearances together, they had an 18-5 record, which put them on pace for a 64-win season.

Primary second unit: Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, Spencer Jones, Marvin Bagley III

These are the four players who will likely get playing time every game in the second unit, unless the Nuggets still decide to make some changes to their bench this offseason. Keep in mind, this is how we project the bench to look without Peyton Watson.

Deep rotation: Alpha Diallo, Trevon Brazile, Zeke Nnaji, DaRon Holmes

It is much harder to project how minutes will be split between these four guys, who are largely still unproven. The Nuggets are a bit stuffed in the frontcourt, so the decision of who to play between Brazile, Nnaji, and Holmes will ultimately come down to who earns it. Diallo is another name to monitor as an elite defender, although his offensive limitations might keep him off the floor.

What works?

Nuggets offseason so far:

In:
Marvin Bagley
Alpha Diallo
Lonnie Walker
Trevon Brazile
Bryce Hopkins

Out:
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Jonas Valanciunas
Jalen Pickett
David Roddy

Retained:
Spencer Jones
Tyus Jones

Peyton Watson is still a restricted free agent. pic.twitter.com/1ZJCqjZOLD
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) August 6, 2026

Of course, the starting lineup will work. The Nuggets have those five players they know they can lean on, and they have enough trust in each other that they have very few weaknesses as a group. In 360 minutes played together last season, that starting five had a +12.9 net rating (per databallr), the third-best of any five-man lineup in the league that played at least 300 minutes together.

The trio of Jokic, Murray, and Gordon is obviously something the Nuggets will not need to worry about, and if nothing else, the success that those three have built in Denver speaks for itself.

The Nuggets also seem content with their new-look frontcourt. While they still have some decisions to make about who will earn playing time, that is a good problem to have. Holmes and Brazile are still unproven, but they both have the potential to be legitimate difference-makers in Denver. Plus, we already know what Bagley can do as an upgrade over what Jonas Valanciunas brought to the backup center position last season.

What needs help

The most notable hole in this new-look rotation is the guard depth. Last season, the Nuggets had Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jalen Pickett in the mix, all of whom are no longer in Denver. Now, they only have Tyus Jones and Julian Strawther, and there is doubt that they will be enough.

Mar 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Tyus Jones (5) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Nuggets slightly addressed this need by signing Lonnie Walker IV to a training camp deal, but he will still have to earn his spot on the roster. Ideally, the Nuggets use their final roster spot on another ball-handler, but we will see what they do there.

How Peyton Watson will change things

Of course, the Nuggets are still waiting to see what happens with restricted free agent Peyton Watson. The 23-year-old wing is coming off the best season of his career, and ideally, the Nuggets are able to re-sign him.

Watson would immediately change the rotation, becoming a super sixth man for the Nuggets, unless they then decide to trade one of their starters in an attempt to save money. Watson could be the Nuggets' missing piece off the bench as a versatile two-way threat, but if they have to find a sign-and-trade for him, they can at least get a solid rotational player in return.

This is not the final rotation for the Nuggets' 2026-27 season with Watson's free agency still in the air, but this is certainly a good look at how things will shake out. Things are not perfect in Denver with some weak spots in the rotation, but with this starting lineup alone, we should be confident in the team's ability.

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