DeMar DeRozan to the Nuggets: Jokic Just Got a Weapon Nobody Expected
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Denver just traded away a rising star AND signed a six-time All-Star for pocket change within 48 hours — and Nikola Jokic is the reason why.
DeRozan firmó por el mínimo de veteranos el 21 de agosto de 2026; el trade de Peyton Watson se cerró el 20 de agosto.
In a whirlwind 48 hours, Denver traded Peyton Watson to Cleveland in a five-team deal that landed them an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, then signed 37-year-old DeMar DeRozan to a one-year veteran minimum contract on August 21. The message is clear: everything is about maximizing Jokic's championship window right now.
It started Wednesday night, when word broke that the Cavaliers had agreed to acquire Peyton Watson via sign-and-trade. By Thursday, August 20, the full five-team mega-deal was official — Cavs, Nuggets, Clippers, Hornets and Wizards all swapping pieces — and by Friday afternoon Chris Haynes reported that DeMar DeRozan planned to sign in Denver. The Nuggets didn't just reload. They re-engineered their entire rotation around one man.
The Watson Trade: Pain Now, Ammo Later
Letting Watson go hurt. The 24-year-old forward couldn't agree to a contract in restricted free agency — Denver offered roughly four years and $70 million, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, but Cleveland swooped in with four years and $88 million. Rather than lose him for nothing, the Nuggets turned him into an unprotected 2031 first-round pick from Cleveland, a 2032 second (Sacramento), the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate and big man Julian Reese, whom they immediately waived. Bill Simmons publicly ripped Denver's handling of the negotiations — but the front office walked away with future ammunition instead of nothing.
Enter DeMar DeRozan
The six-time All-Star became a free agent in July when Sacramento waived his partially guaranteed contract in a cost-cutting move. At 37, he chose Denver over other suitors for one obvious reason: a legitimate shot at his first ring next to Jokic. He joins an offseason haul that already included Tyus Jones and Marvin Bagley III on minimum deals, plus draft additions Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins — while Jonas Valanciunas was shockingly waived back in July.
What It Means for You
If you're a Nuggets fan, this is the deepest, cheapest bench Jokic has ever had — veterans hungry for a title at rock-bottom prices, plus a stockpile of future picks. The Western Conference arms race is officially on, and Denver just told everyone they're not rebuilding anything until the big Serbian says so.
