DeMar DeRozan reportedly agreed to sign a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Denver Nuggets on Friday. His arrival came just days after the Mile High City team ended its long standoff with emerging star Peyton Watson by trading him to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The NBA world unsurprisingly reacted after NBA insider Shams Charania announced the DeRozan deal.
DeMar DeRozan’s Nuggets Move Leaves NBA Community Confused
Early in free agency last month, the Sacramento Kings and DeRozan mutually agreed to part ways. As the Kings embraced another rebuild, the veteran guard/forward wanted out to chase a championship.
DeRozan had multiple suitors, reportedly including the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and Nuggets. Denver ramped up its pursuit of the 6-foot-6 veteran once it decided to send Watson to Cleveland.
BREAKING: Free agent star DeMar DeRozan intends to sign with the Denver Nuggets, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/op1sgEjfcj
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 21, 2026
The Nuggets now add DeRozan to a core that includes Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. That move, especially coming so soon after the Watson trade, inevitably got people talking.
“It’s giving desperate lol,” a podcaster and Oklahoma City Thunder supporter wrote.
It’s giving desperate lol https://t.co/VY7MmyX2xD
— ThunderChats (@ThunderChats) August 21, 2026
“Window closed. Such an awkward on-court fit too,” a Los Angeles Lakers supporter added.
Window closed. Such an awkward on-court fit too https://t.co/lzKjfLgNru
— O.B🇹🇷 (@Obolatcan24) August 21, 2026
“I find the Nuggets signing DeMar DeRozan deeply disturbing for their chances to contend,” another podcaster reacted.
I find the Nuggets signing DeMar DeRozan deeply disturbing for their chances to contend
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) August 21, 2026
“DeMar DeRozan is still a solid player, but I just don’t get the Nuggets offseason at all,” a sports observer tweeted.
“Franchise is genuinely cooked,” an NBA observer remarked.
“The Nuggets desperately need capable players off the bench, so this is a good thing. But I’d also be a lot more excited about 23-year-old Peyton Watson than 37-year-old DeMar DeRozan,” Will Petersen, a digital sports analyst, tweeted.
“Wouldn’t even blame Jokic if he requested a trade,” another NBA observer commented.
Wouldn’t even blame Jokic if he requested a trade
— OBK (@FeelLikeOBK) August 21, 2026
The reaction makes more sense when looking at what Denver gave up. Watson, a blossoming 23-year-old two-way star, averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last season, all career highs. The athletic 6-foot-8 forward was also easily the Nuggets’ best perimeter defender.
Denver didn’t receive a player in the Watson trade, either. Instead, the team is replacing him with a 37-year-old veteran with a much-maligned defense. The Nuggets ranked 21st in defensive rating last season, making the loss of Watson potentially even more significant.
Still, there is a reason Denver immediately intensified its pursuit of DeRozan once Watson was out. The three-time All-NBA is a proven scorer, especially late in games. Since 2020, his 3,045 fourth-quarter points are the most in the NBA, per StatMuse.
DeRozan could help carry the offense, particularly when the Nuggets’ Serbian superstar is out.
Denver seems to be betting that DeRozan’s scoring and late-game shot creation can make up for what it lost defensively with Watson. However, the NBA community doesn’t think it ends well for a team with championship aspirations.
