Nuggets replace Peyton Watson by signing future Hall of Famer

The Denver Nuggets lost 23-year-old Peyton Watson this week. They're pivoting by replacing him with a 37-year-old.

DeMar DeRozan plans to continue his Hall of Fame career by signing a one-year deal with the Nuggets. The move makes the veteran-laden team older, but gives the Nuggets the 18th-leading scorer in NBA history.

DeMar DeRozan is a badly needed fallback option for Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are up against the restrictions of the NBA's second luxury tax apron, limiting their financial flexibility. They sent Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade rather than pay him $88M over four years. Denver lost Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, third and fourth on the team in minutes last season, along with Watson and Jonas Valanciunas.

That leaves a huge hole on the bench that the additions of Marvin Bagley and Lonnie Walker IV won't come close to filling. DeRozan may be entering his 18th season, but he played 77 games and averaged 18.2 points for the Sacramento Kings last season. That's more games than anyone on the Nuggets played last season, while DeRozan's 2,406 minutes would have ranked second behind Jamal Murray.

DeRozan was likely the best player available for the Nuggets, and he only makes the veteran's minimum of $3.9M. Even though he's one of the oldest players in the NBA, DeRozan led the league in minutes as recently as 2023-24. His shooting numbers have remained remarkably consistent, and his turnover rate is actually declining.

DeMar DeRozan doesn't solve the Nuggets' athleticism issues

While he should be a big upgrade on Watson offensively, DeRozan's addition compounds the Nuggets' glaring lack of athleticism. That hurt them in their first-round upset loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the veteran Nuggets had no answer for strong, speedy athletes like Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, even with Anthony Edwards out injured.

DeRozan wasn't a great defender in his prime, nor was he a player who thrived in transition. He's a great isolation scorer and still gets to the foul line regularly, but DeRozan is not going to be able to stop elite wing players in crunch time.

Where he might help the Nuggets most is giving them additional options in crunch time. The once-unstoppable pick-and-roll between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray struggled late in playoff games last season. DeRozan has an uncanny ability to get good shots late, finishing second in Clutch Player of the Year voting in 2024.

DeRozan has the smarts and skills to thrive in the perennially elite Nuggets offense. On the defensive end, the Nuggets are still looking for answers.