The Denver Nuggets' offseason wasn't that bad.
The Denver Nuggets entered the offseason with big questions after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets were favored as the three seed, but their offense dried up and they couldn’t string together enough stops in crucial moments.
Executive Josh Kroenke said “everything was on the table” short of trading Nikola Jokic in the offseason, but the starting lineup remains the same, and the team lost top bench contributors Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr for what amounted to a first and second-round pick, both of which came via the Watson trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It wasn’t a good offseason for Denver, but was it as bad as people made it out to be?
Looking At The Offseason
Bleacher Report published a new article looking at the five teams that blew it in the offseason, and Denver made the list.
Much of the criticism circles around the Watson deal, where they failed to reach an agreement with the restricted free agent and then traded him to the Cavaliers for two draft picks. The Nuggets were hampered by the second apron and the upcoming raise for Christian Braun.
Though they did lose Watson and Hardaway Jr, they managed to add veteran DeMar DeRozan and they signed Marvin Bagley III, who is an upgrade over Jonas Valanciunas, who served as the backup center last season.
They also re-signed Tyus Jones to be the backup point guard after he was injured for the majority of last season, and took a shot on Alpha Diallo, the EuroLeague Defender of the Year.
Was It Truly That Bad?
Losing players the caliber of Watson and Hardaway Jr, and getting no servicable NBA player in return, is never a good thing, but how bad Denver’s offseason was might be a bit overblown when you realize what they still have.
They are returning the same starting lineup of Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cameron Johnson.
Though there is a sour taste in the mouths of fans with how that group fared in the playoffs, that was one of the best starting lineups in the league last year. If everyone can stay healthy, and Murray is able to bounce back from a rough playoff outing, there is no reason to think they won’t have another strong year.
DeRozan is still a scoring guard who will help offset the scoring loses of Hardaway Jr and Watson, just in a different way. Increased roles for Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones, along with a healthy Tyus Jones and DaRon Holmes, will add much-needed depth to valuable positions.
Finally, the addition of Bagley will be viewed as one of the best offseason moves by the end of the season.
