Nuggets Receive Strong Free Agency Grade Amid Busy Offseason

This was a bold move by the Nuggets, but one that also opened up cap space for them to sign multiple players during free agency.

During free agency, the Nuggets reunited with former champion Bruce Brown and also added Tim Hardaway Jr. to upgrade their bench, which was an issue for them last season.

With these moves, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz gave the Nuggets an A- free agency grade.

“Giving up an unprotected 2032 first-round pick is a huge risk for the Denver Nuggets yet was the price of doing business to save $17 million and swap Porter for Johnson,” Swartz wrote. “Getting Brown and Hardaway for the veteran minimums was a huge discount for players who likely could have gotten chunks of exceptions elsewhere.”

Swartz makes a great point about the risk of giving up a 2032 first-round pick in the Johnson trade due to Denver’s lack of draft capital.

Despite this, the trade allowed the Nuggets to free up space to sign both Brown and Hardaway Jr. along with allowing them to make a trade with the Sacramento Kings that saw them swap Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas.

With these moves, Denver is clearly trying to compete for another championship next season behind their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon after pushing the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round last season.

Of course, the Nuggets still have time to make more moves ahead of the start of next season as they chase another title.