Denver Nuggets Rookies Could be Impactful Depth Pieces

Since the Denver Nuggets' 2023 NBA Championship victory, the team has lost key depth pieces, putting a heavier workload on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jeff Green and Bruce Brown –– who's now back with the team –– are among the names to step away from the team and land in new homes around the association.

In the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Denver primarily stuck to an eight man rotation in non-blowout games, not including a backup center in the rotation and lacking shooting, aside from a second-round game six heater from Julian Strawther.

Over the course of the offseason, the Nuggets brought in Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. to fill those roles, but both veterans have had playoff consistency struggles of their own in recent years. If the Nuggets were to turn to different options, there's two rookies who could step up in their first season with the team.

DaRon Holmes II

The Nuggets traded up to the No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to obtain the draft rights to Holmes, an intriguing modern big out of Dayton. Holmes had a stellar junior season heading into the draft, averaging 20.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 38.6 percent on 2.5 3-point attempts per game.

His combination of shot-blocking and ability to play on the perimeter offensively offered a skillset to play both with or without Jokic –– something that few Nuggets bigs have had since Jokic's first MVP. However, Holmes rookie season was ended before it began, as the Dayton product tore his right achilles in his first Summer League game, sidelining him for the entire 2024-2025 season.

He's now set to make his NBA debut in the 2025-2026 season, and already has a strong case for the Nuggets best backup defensive big, offering a more athletic profile than DeAndre Jordan and Valanciunas. If Holmes' deep ball continues to be a weapon, the Nuggets may finally have a reliable backup big to help the team survive non-Jokic minutes.

Tamar Bates