The Denver Nuggets have ramped up their offseason activity over the past few days. After months of rumors, the Nuggets finally reached a resolution with Peyton Watson in restricted free agency, as they agreed to a blockbuster sign-and-trade that sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With his time in town over, though, the front office needed to find a replacement.
Over the past few weeks, the Nuggets have been linked to six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan in free agency, but it seemed like the two sides were struggling to find common ground on a contract. In the wake of the Watson trade, though, that changed, as reports indicate Denver has signed DeRozan to a one-year, $3.9 million contract in free agency.
Nuggets Sign DeMar DeRozan in Free Agency
After sending Peyton Watson to the Cavs in a sign-and-trade, Denver bolsters their secondary scoring depth next to Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic by signing DeRozan.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, DeRozan has been one of the most consistent scorers in the league for over 15 years now. Sure, he may have been released by the Sacramento Kings earlier this offseason, but that had more to do with the direction of the franchise rather than his own individual performance.
In his age-36 season, DeRozan still managed to suit up in 77 games for a Kings team that was one of the worst in the league. His per-game numbers took a step back (18.4 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.9 RPG, 49.7 FG%), but DeRozan is still capable of making a big impact on a playoff-caliber team, which is precisely what the Nuggets are.
Denver had made it clear that it wanted to sign DeRozan, but it was only going to be able to do so if he was willing to accept a veteran’s minimum deal. While DeRozan initially wanted more money on his next deal, he ended up having a change of heart, which led to him signing his aforementioned contract with the Nuggets on Friday afternoon.
“The Nuggets are signing 6x NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, league sources told ClutchPoints,” Brett Siegel reported in a post on X. “After sending Peyton Watson to the Cavs in a sign-and-trade, Denver bolsters their secondary scoring depth next to Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic by signing DeRozan.”
Nuggets Add Experienced Scorer in DeMar DeRozan to Their Roster
GettySacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
All offseason long, the Nuggets have been searching for ways to improve their supporting cast around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Adding DeRozan, who is a skilled three-level scorer who can create buckets on his own, will help take some of the burden off Jokic and Murray’s shoulders on the offensive end of the floor.
Defensively, DeRozan doesn’t have much to offer anymore, but if he can continue to score at a high rate, Denver has enough pieces elsewhere on its roster who can help on the other end of the floor. Scooping up DeRozan on a cheap contract is a big win for the Nuggets, and while losing Watson certainly hurts, signing a six-time All-Star with loads of playoff experience is a pretty good consolation prize.
Nuggets Sign DeMar DeRozan After Blockbuster Peyton Watson Trade