The Denver Nuggets recently got their preseason underway as they prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign. The Nuggets made relatively few moves this offseason, although they did add former All-Star DeMar DeRozan to the mix in free agency following his departure from the Sacramento Kings.

Now, fans have gotten more information about the Nuggets' usage plans for DeRozan heading into this season.

“DeMar DeRozan will be first off the bench and the Nuggets will try to figure out which of those rotations makes the most sense,” reported Mile High Sports on X, formerly Twitter, citing comments from Nuggets head coach David Adelman.

It certainly makes sense that the Nuggets would want to bring the veteran DeRozan off the bench, which would be his first time doing so since his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors well over a decade ago.

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Meanwhile, Denver figures to run back the starting lineup of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic this year, one that is typically among the most effective in the NBA, but saw its lack of athleticism and defensive versatility thoroughly exposed in their playoff loss to the undermanned Minnesota Timberwolves this past season.

While DeRozan will help provide some microwave scoring off the bench to help the Nuggets fend off cold spells when Jokic is off the floor, it remains to be seen if Denver has done enough to quell concerns about their lack of athleticism, especially now that Peyton Watson is a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In any case, the Nuggets are slated to get their new season underway on October 22 on the road vs the Oklahoma City Thunder.