Why the Nuggets give DeMar DeRozan his final chance to compete for a championship in 2026-27

The Denver Nuggets signed DeMar DeRozan to a one-year contract after trading Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade, worth $88 million to the Cleveland Cavs in exchange for an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, a 2032 second-round pick, and Julian Reese. The multi-team deal saved the Nuggets roughly $18.06 million, as DeRozan agreed to a $3.9 million contract in exchange for the $20.4 million owed to Watson in 2026-27.

The Nuggets are the only team in the NBA’s second apron. After the Oklahoma City Thunder signed restricted free agent Spencer Jones to a two-year, $12 million contract, the Nuggets were forced to match it, pushing them into the dreaded second tax apron. This led Denver to offload Watson, who’s coming off a breakout season. The Nuggets lost their standout 3-and-D wing.

After averaging 14.6 points on 49.1/41.1/73.0 shooting splits, Watson emerged as a potential trade target for the Cavs, especially after LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers over a reunion in Cleveland. In games where All-Star Nikola Jokic sat, Watson’s averages spiked to 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.

At the same time, DeRozan is an ideal consolation prize for a team with championship aspirations. In his 17th NBA season, he averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% shooting, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals for the Sacramento Kings in 2025-26. But what stands out most for how the Nuggets could utilize the six-time All-Star is DeRozan’s mid-range shot.

By mid-March, DeRozan’s 48.0% was tied for ninth-best in mid-range field-goal percentage for players with at least 100 field-goal attempts, per Stat Defender.

Best Mid-Range FG% In The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season (Min. 100 Total FGA) :

1. Rui Hachimura — 56.0%
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — 53.4%
3. TJ McConnell — 52.9%
4. Donovan Mitchell — 51.0%
5. Devin Vassell — 50.0%
6. Kevin… https://t.co/0G56Pr1QIH pic.twitter.com/zZa7KgmXIe

— Stat Defender (@statdefender) March 17, 2026

By the end of the regular season, DeRozan made 52.7% of his field-goal attempts from inside the 3-point arc. While he won’t be the caliber of defender the Nuggets had in Watson last season, his offense helps keep Denver among the NBA’s best offenses. The Nuggets’ 122.6 offensive rating ranked first in 2025-26 and second-best in NBA history.

In competing with the likes of Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama and the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs, and two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 2025 champion Oklahoma City Thunder, DeMar DeRozan keeps the Nuggets afloat offensively. Ahead of the upcoming season, this could be one of his last chances to win his first championship.

For teams ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in defensive rating last season, the Nuggets’ 108.2 was the sixth-worst mark. Denver’s opponents averaged 116.9 points a game, the tenth-highest in 2025-26. But there’s still upside to the Nuggets signing DeRozan for a team looking to return to the Finals since winning it all in 2023.

Will DeMar DeRozan’s signing bring Nuggets closer to title contention?

After his first nine seasons, including four All-Star appearances and two All-NBA selections, the Raptors traded DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, which led to the Raptors’ first title in franchise history. DeRozan spent three seasons with the Spurs before he was traded to the Bulls, and after his past two seasons with the Kings, DeMar’s still chasing his first title.

Amid a rebuild, the Kings waived DeRozan this summer, allowing him to sign with a contender like the Nuggets, who are undoubtedly a step in that direction, led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic (2021, 2022, 2024). It’s a perfect situation for DeMar to prove himself in 2026-27, as the Nuggets will look to build off their 4-2 first-round playoff exit against the Timberwolves.

DeRozan, who finished second for the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2023-24, posted averages of 24.0 points on 48.0% shooting, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. His numbers aren’t far off from his days with the Bulls, including the last time he averaged 20+ points (22.2) in 2024-25 for the Kings.

As for making up for DeRozan’s defensive limitations, Spencer Jones, alongside Christian Braun, will most likely fill the void left in Peyton Watson’s absence at the wing position. Aaron Gordon’s clean slate on the health front would also go a long way for the Nuggets. Hamstring strains and a left calf injury hampered his 2025-26 campaign, as he played in only 36 regular-season games and three of the Nuggets’ first-round, best-of-7 series, which his team lost 4-2 to the Timberwolves.

Losing Gordon in Game 7 of the Nuggets’ second-round series, a 4-3 loss to the Thunder, is the closest they’ve come to returning to the Western Conference Finals since winning it all in 2023. Still, the Nuggets’ DeRozan signing is a low-cost/high reward kind of move for a veteran scorer with a high IQ.

He’s 16th on the all-time scoring list (26,711 career points). Among active players, he’s fourth overall in total scoring, trailing 76ers forward LeBron James, Rockets’ Kevin Durant, and Cavs’ James Harden. However, unlike the aforementioned all-time active leading scorers, DeRozan hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2021-22.

He watched the Raptors win a championship without him. The Spurs made their first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years, five years removed from DeRozan’s tenure with the team last season. Joining a team with one of the best players in the association, Jokic, will only motivate the veteran forward.

Perhaps competing against a team projected to compete for a championship leads DeRozan to turn back the clock. At 37, this could be one of his last opportunities to win a title, and the Nuggets’ one-year contract is his chance to prove he’s worth keeping around amidst a competitive Western Conference.

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