Denver Nuggets 2025 NBA free agency grades for every signing

Valanciunas isn’t a perfect fit for every situation – he lacks mobility and doesn’t stretch the floor, but for the regular season and select playoff matchups, he gives Denver exactly what it needs. The best part? His contract is manageable now that his previous inflated deal has been resolved.

Grade: B+

Bruce Brown: The reunion tour begins

When the Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Championship, Bruce Brown was the glue that held their bench together. He brought defense, energy, toughness, and timely shot-making to a squad that leaned heavily on chemistry and role clarity. After a brief and underwhelming stint away, Brown returns to a familiar setting where he’s proven he can thrive.

His ability to handle the ball, defend multiple positions, and elevate teammates will be a welcome sight off the bench, particularly as Jamal Murray continues to manage occasional injury absences.

Grade: A

Tim Hardaway Jr.: Floor spacing with firepower

Denver’s bench has sometimes suffered from a lack of consistent shooting, especially in the corners and off movement. Tim Hardaway Jr. isn’t the most dynamic player, but he knows how to launch it. He’ll come off screens, run the break, and knock down open threes, which Jokic will serve to him on a silver platter.

While his defense is middling and his decision-making occasionally frustrating, his skillset addresses a critical need: scoring off the bench in spurts. He’s not asked to be a star, just a contributor.

Grade: B

Blockbuster move: Michael Porter Jr. out, Cam Johnson in

The headline move came early in free agency: Denver sent Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Cameron Johnson. It was a swing that made headlines across the league, both because of the name value and the implications.

Johnson, while not the pure scorer Porter can be at his best, brings defensive versatility, smarter off-ball movement, and arguably a better basketball fit next to Nikola Jokic. He’s a knockdown shooter who doesn’t need the ball to thrive, and more importantly, he won’t be hunted on defense as easily as Porter was. For a team that sometimes struggled to close games with MPJ on the floor in tight defensive contests, Johnson’s arrival could make all the difference.

The Nuggets are all-in again

The Denver Nuggets’ 2025 free agency wasn’t about chasing stars – it was about cohesion, fit, and shoring up weaknesses. Thereofore, in Cam Johnson, they found a complementary piece for their best player. In Valanciunas, they added long-needed depth. In Brown and Hardaway Jr., they restored scoring, defense, and identity to the second unit.

If this group stays healthy and if the new pieces click, there’s little standing between the Nuggets and a serious run at another NBA title. As a result, new head coach David Adelman has a well-rounded roster ready to compete, and the urgency from the front office shows they expect nothing less.