The addition of DeMar DeRozan would transform the Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have spent the better part of this offseason doing very little. The Peyton Watson saga has lingered. The Jaylen Brown pursuit fizzled. The roster has gotten smaller rather than larger. And the fan base, which entered the summer expecting urgency, has been left watching other teams make the kind of moves Denver’s front office has been reluctant to pull the trigger on.

But according to recent reports, there is a name on the board that could change the entire trajectory of the summer, and the midday show believes the Nuggets would be foolish to let it slip away.

DeMar DeRozan is reportedly available. And on a recent edition of “Dover and Cecil” on 104.3 The Fan, host Josh Dover made the case that the six-time All-Star is exactly the piece this roster has been missing.

The need is obvious. The Nuggets ranked 20th in bench scoring last season, a number that directly contributed to the kind of second-unit collapses that cost the team games throughout the year and ultimately played a role in the first-round playoff exit against Minnesota. Denver’s bench has lacked a reliable, self-creating scorer for years. DeRozan has built his entire career on being exactly that, a mid-range assassin with the ability to generate offense in isolation, operate in the pick-and-roll, and deliver in high-pressure moments.

Dover walked through what the full rotation would look like with DeRozan in the fold.

“That 10-man rotation, your bench is (Christian Braun), (Peyton) Watson, DeMar, Spencer (Jones), Julian (Strawther) and Marvin Bagley. I’m not gonna say I’m gonna go buy a ticket for them to win the NBA championship, but it puts me in a position to go, ‘Hey, they’re gonna win 50 games, they’re gonna be a top-five seed, and they do have a chance to get into the postseason and compete to get to a Western Conference Final,'” Dover said.

That is a significant shift in the conversation. For weeks, the Nuggets offseason has been defined by stagnation. Adding DeRozan doesn’t just fill a hole, it elevates the entire second unit from a liability into a genuine strength. Watson provides the athleticism and defense. Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther offer youth and shooting. Marvin Bagley brings size. And DeRozan brings the one thing none of those players can consistently provide, reliable, high-volume scoring off the bench.

Dover then delivered the directive that captures exactly where the urgency should be.

“So DeMar DeRozan’s out there right now for the Denver Nuggets. It’s a mistake for them to not go at him as soon as possible, to complete this roster, and get themselves back into competitive mode,” Dover said.

That’s the bottom line. The Nuggets have spent this summer standing still while the Western Conference has gotten better around them. DeRozan isn’t a perfect player. He is 36 years old. His defensive limitations are well documented. But what he provides, consistent, proven scoring from a player who has performed on the biggest stages in the sport, is precisely what Denver’s bench has been crying out for.

The opportunity is there. The fit is there. The need is undeniable. All that’s left is for the front office to make the call. And if Dover is right, it would be the move that transforms a forgettable offseason into one that puts the Nuggets back in the conversation where they belong.

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