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The Nuggets landed the most prominent name left in NBA free agency on Friday. They'll hope he can offer another dimension to a roster that was unable to compete with their conference's best sides in 2025-26.
Denver is signing DeMar DeRozan to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The six-time All-Star arrives in the Mile High City after a two-year run with the Kings that was filled with points — and little team success.
DeRozan, 37, remains one of the sport's better offensive players, pairing strong iso scoring skills with impressive play-making chops. While not the most glamorous talent to move during this summer's offseason, he could prove a valuable addition to Denver's attack. He fielded interest from the Heat, Wizards and Pelicans prior to settling on the Nuggets, per Charania.
With that, here's a look at how DeRozan could fit into Denver's setup in 2026-27.
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Nuggets lineup with DeMar DeRozan
The Nuggets' starting lineup is set to experience a facelift of sorts in 2026-27. Peyton Watson's departure via trade leaves Denver with a void at wing. DeRozan theoretically could step into that position — he has started every game he played in since the start of the 2010-11 season.
Here's a look at how the Nuggets could look with DeRozan in the fold:
- Jamal Murray
- DeMar DeRozan
- Cameron Johnson
- Aaron Gordon
- Nikola Jokic
DeRozan's best fit might be as a spark-plug coming off the bench. While renowned for his isolation scoring, DeRozan is a gifted passer. That stands in stark contrast to most of Denver's bench; players like Christian Braun, Marvin Bagley Jr. and Spencer Jones offer little-to-no self-creation.
Braun could take DeRozan's place in David Adelman's starting lineup. He's a strong defender who has shown steady offense alongside Murray and Jokic. He is also due to collect more than $20 million next year — a gaudy investment for a player coming off the bench.
Denver's roster is lacking in the margins. It's unable to match the depth of Western Conference foes like the Thunder and Spurs. DeRozan doesn't fix that dynamic. But his offensive gifts should inject some liveliness into the Nuggets' reserves. Denver found some success playing Russell Westbrook with its second unit in 2024-25. Perhaps DeRozan can thrive in a similar role.
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DeMar DeRozan contract details
- Years: One
- Contract value: $3.9 million
Charania reported that DeRozan signed with the Nuggets on a one-year, $3.9 million deal. That's a sizable decrease from his prior deals — he inked a three-year, $73.1 million pact with the Kings in a 2024 sign-and-trade.
Denver had precious little cap space at its disposal — Watson's departure is due in part to ownership's desire to avoid spending into the second apron. DeRozan represents a cheap alternative that the Nuggets got for less than his market value. He likely isn't feeling too bad about his deal; he had $10 million of his $25.7 million deal with the Kings guaranteed for the 2026-27 season
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DeMar DeRozan age
DeRozan turned 37 on Aug. 7. He remains one of the league's better scorers, regularly posting elite points-per-possession metrics in isolation situations. DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 77 games with Sacramento last year.
DeMar DeRozan career stats
- 21.1 points per game
- 4.3 rebounds per game
- 4.1 assists per game
- 1.0 steals per game
- 0.3 blocks per game
- 2.0 turnovers per game
- 47.1 percent field goal shooting
- 30.2 percent 3-point shooting
- 84.3 percent free throw shooting
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