The Nuggets put the finishing touches on their offseason by signing DeMar DeRozan on Friday. The addition of the veteran midrange scorer is likely the final of several low-cost additions by Denver made in an attempt to change things around the margins of this Nikola Jokić-centric roster—because that’s all the franchise could do.
Denver has numerous huge contracts on the books and, as such, is the only team currently over the second apron. The Nuggets’ ability to make big changes this offseason was severely limited. Especially when paired with a complete lack of draft assets, the team entered this offseason with zero tradable first-round picks at its disposal. It’s the top reason why Denver traded Peyton Watson despite his defense-first skill set suggesting he’s a perfect role player for a Jokić team. The Nuggets sent him to the Cavaliers because they couldn’t afford to pay him the $88 million contract he got from Cleveland, and they netted a draft pick in return.
