The Denver Nuggets’ search for Peyton Watson’s replacement has already led them to DeMar DeRozan.
Now another, much younger name has entered the conversation.
Jonathan Kuminga could become an intriguing late-summer option for Denver if his market collapses to the point that the 23-year-old is willing to accept a one-year, prove-it contract, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said.
Siegel identified Denver, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers as the three Western Conference teams he is watching most closely for Kuminga. His reasoning for the Nuggets went beyond simply finding another interested team.
Denver could offer Kuminga a chance to rehabilitate his value alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — perhaps even with a starting job.
“Maybe that is a good situation for him to join, where maybe they look to have him start over Christian Braun,” Siegel said Thursday on Clutch Scoops.
Jonathan Kuminga Could Bet on Himself Next to Nikola Jokic
Getty Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors drives against Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on December 25, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.
That scenario would require Kuminga to dramatically reset his expectations.
Siegel floated the possibility of Kuminga accepting a veteran-minimum contract for one season, establishing himself in a better basketball situation and returning to the market next summer.
If his price falls that far, Denver becomes fascinating.
“He can play off a Nikola Jokic, play off Jamal Murray, and show that, hey, I can be a really good secondary guy and play this Andrew Wiggins-like role that the Warriors wanted him to be in, and it just didn’t work out,” Siegel said. “Maybe it works out with another team on a vet minimum.”
That is an unusually specific vision for Kuminga.
Jokic has spent his career making cutters dangerous, and Kuminga’s explosiveness could give Denver an element it lost when Watson left. He wouldn’t need to become a primary creator. He could run, cut, attack mismatches and try to demonstrate that his physical gifts translate to winning basketball in a defined role.
Siegel also questioned the contract advice Kuminga has received over the past two summers, suggesting a one-year reset may become necessary if a significant multiyear offer never materializes.
“So Denver, Minnesota, Los Angeles, those are the three main teams of the Western Conference I’m paying attention to,” Siegel said.
Nuggets Also Eyeing DeMar DeRozan After Peyton Watson Trade
Denver has another prominent option.
The Nuggets have turned their attention to six-time All-Star DeRozan after sending Watson to Cleveland, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Thursday.
Watson joined the Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade and received a four-year, $88 million contract. Denver received Cleveland’s unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder from Sacramento in the transaction.
That leaves the Nuggets choosing how to replace a 23-year-old wing who averaged 14.6 points last season.
DeRozan offers the proven option. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists last season and would add another established scorer to a team trying to maximize Jokic’s championship window.
Kuminga would be the upside swing.
And if his market really does fall to the minimum, Denver could offer something money can’t measure: a year playing with the best passing big man in basketball, a potential starting opportunity and a chance to change the trajectory of his career.
The Nuggets are already looking at DeRozan.
Kuminga could give them a very different reason to wait.
Nuggets Linked to 23-Year-Old Forward Amid DeMar DeRozan Pursuit