A running theme for the Denver Nuggets over the past few seasons has been the slow exodus of impactful role players. They haven't necessarily lost out on any big name starters as of late, but their depth has slowly dwindled since they won the 2023 NBA Finals, and their most recent departure is coming at an inconvenient time. 

Bruce Brown signed to a one-year with the Nuggets last season and while he was primarily a bench player, he also proved to be one of the most consistent presences on the floor for Denver. He appeared in all 82 games, starting four, and averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while being a crucial defensive presence on the floor. 

But the Nuggets have said goodbye to Brown after ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Brown had been signed to a training camp contract by the New York Knicks and thus will be competing for a roster spot with the defending champions, leaving the Nuggets out in the cold and making their already thin guard room that much thinner.

With the regular season just weeks away, the Nuggets need to act quickly to replace the gap that Brown's departure leaves on the roster.

Another one of Brown's assets to the Nuggets was his versatility, being able to play both shooting guard and small forward, so the Nuggets will have to work to find players than can either play that same swingman role, or search for either a dedicated guard or dedicated small forward.

With that directive in mind, the Nuggets do have a few options ahead of them in the increasingly shallow free agent market.

If the Nuggets move in a more guard-oriented direction, a risky option, but one that could pay off, is pursuing Seth Curry. 

Curry's 2025-26 season was cut well-short by various sciatic nerve issues, but if he's able to put together a healthier 2026-27 campaign, his shooting abilities would be a great way to space the floor and add some more punch to the offense coming off the bench. 

If the Nuggets want to turn to more of a forward focused direction, Nicolas Batum or Joe Ingles could be complimentary, if well-seasoned, options. 

Both Ingles and Batum add size and experience that could help the Nuggets find more stability late in games. Both are some of the oldest players in the league, which could concern the Nuggets, who were already one of the most injury-prone teams in the NBA last season, but a limited workload at the end of the bench could mitigate that risk.

Whichever direction that the Nugget decide to go in, they'll need to act quickly with the season nearly here. 

Brown may have been a role player coming off the bench, but he's leaving some big shoes to fill in Denver.