The Denver Nuggets made a big move in free agency.
The Denver Nuggets were thought to be non-existent players in free agency with only the taxpayer's mid-level exception to spend, but they put that money to use with a much-needed pickup.
Marvin Bagley III is headed to the Nuggets on a one-year deal, where he'll serve as a key backup in the Denver frontcourt.
Bagley spent last season on the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks, playing 60 total games and averaging 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 61% from the field.
The number two overall pick in 2018 has played on five teams during his eight years in the league.
Bagley's Role
Denver signed Jonas Valanciunas to serve as the backup for Nikola Jokic last season, and while he filled that need in the regular season, he couldn't stay on the floor in the playoffs.
Valanciunas is under contract for the upcoming season on a deal worth $10 million, but only $2 million of that is guaranteed, and there are talks of him heading to Lithuania to continue his career.
With Denver needing frontcourt depth and another backup for Jokic, they turned to Bagley, who is only 27 years old and still has bounce in his game.
Bagley does a little bit of everything on the offense end, from setting screens to offensive rebounding to rolling and finishing around the rim. He can attack off the catch if given space, and he's shown the ability to knock down threes, though he won't take many and teams will likely continue to leave him open.
Defensively, he's not great, but does offer a little bit of rim protection with his length.
Expectations For Bagley
Bagley will likely be used in one of two ways: either backing up Jokic when he needs to sit, bringing some offensive stability to the second unit, or playing alongside Jokic in the Aaron Gordon spot.
Gordon has dealt with injury issues throughout the last two seasons, both in the regular season and the playoffs. Bagley isn't quite the player that Gordon is, and he doesn't have a long-established chemistry with Jokic, but he does offer similar abilities with his screening, athleticism, and hanging around the dunker's spot.
Denver has amassed a number of frontcourt players this offseason, with DaRon Holmes expected to take on a bigger role and with the drafting of Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins.
Bagley will serve as a nice bridge for the young players, who will hopefully step up by the end of the season.
