Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic mid game in the 2023 season. photo courtesy of NBAE
With many new roster additions, the Denver Nuggets are back in the game looking for their 2nd championship in three years.
After a disappointing end to the 2024 season, the Denver Nuggets are hungry to regain the title of world champions. With holes to fill in the roster, Nuggets’ fans were eager to see them make some noise in the NBA draft and free agency in order to get over the bump and win the 2025 NBA championship.
June 26th marked the start of the NBA offseason, with the NBA draft kickstarting the world’s 58 best prospects. This year the Nuggets had the 28th overall pick, which they used to trade up to the 22nd pick and grab Dayton University standout Daron Holmes II. In three collegiate years, Holmes put up averages of 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds on an efficient 58.8% field goal percentage. He showed his defensive versatility by recording over two blocks a game. The player especially showed out in his senior year, with averages of 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks, earning him a spot on the All-American 2nd team with the likes of other college standouts such as Kyle Filipowski and Tyler Kolek. The Nuggets also managed to sign multiple other impactful players as undrafted free agents, including Clemson’s front man PJ Hall, who averaged 14.2 points and 5.3 rebounds while leading Clemson to the elite eight, and Trey Alexander, Creighton’s spark plug who showed out as an offensive weapon, averaging over 17 points per game his senior year.
With free agency starting just a day later, many were looking to the Nuggets, hoping for the signings of a couple big players. While the Nuggets had multiple positions to fill, many were hoping for a backup center to give Nugget’s star Nikola Jokic a rest when needed. This was done by signing former 12th overall pick Dario Saric to a two year, ten and a half million dollar contract. Saric, who previously played for the 76ers, Timberwolves, Suns, Thunder, and Warriors, has career averages of 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 44/36/88 splits. Saric’s ability to shoot the 3 ball, while also being able to utilize his height against other league players, allows the Nuggets to utilize him with the bench lineup and play a two center lineup if needed. With the departure of starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and backup point guard Reggie Jackson, Denver was in heavy need of another guard. Nearly a month later, former MVP Russell Westbrook signed a one year, four million dollar contract to fill the positions of the two guards that left. While his last couple of years have been relatively unproductive, the Nuggets are hoping to give him a new role, allowing him to play more of his game. In his prime, Russell Westbrook set the league record for triple doubles while having what many regard as one of the best seasons of all time, averaging 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on efficient shooting splits. While he most likely will not return to that form, Westbrook has still proven to be a valuable bench piece, mentor, and teammate no matter his situation.
With these new additions and roster adjustments, the Nuggets front office feels like they have put the Nuggets in a better position. 104.3 The Fan Writer Jake Shapiro stated, “All of this is to say that this Nuggets core is a safer bet to be in the position to make a deep run come next spring than the rest of the field.” Many expect great things from this roster, and even more are ready to see another banner hung in Denver.
