Nuggets front office on Peyton Watson trade, DeMar DeRozan on coming off the bench and other media day takeaways, tell me about this news in (https://www.denverpost.com/2026/09/28/nuggets-media-day-watson-trade-derozan-bench/)
29-09-2026
During the Denver Nuggets’ 2026 media day, front office executives and players addressed several major roster moves and expectations for the upcoming season, notably focusing on the departure of Peyton Watson and the addition of veteran star DeMar DeRozan.
Regarding the Peyton Watson trade, front office leadership acknowledged the difficult decision to part ways with the young wing. They explained that after evaluating the team’s playoff performance and looking for ways to reshape the roster, they ultimately decided the move was necessary to position the team forward, balancing aggressive roster adjustments without making an outright panic reaction.
Meanwhile, newly signed veteran DeMar DeRozan addressed his upcoming role, which will see him coming off the bench for the first time since his rookie season in 2009–10. DeRozan made it clear that his sole priority is winning and doing whatever is required to help the team compete. Coaching staff noted that DeRozan is expected to take on significant ball-handling responsibilities to ease the offensive pressure on Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic when the starters rest.
Other notable takeaways from media day included Spencer Jones reflecting on the team matching his contract offer sheet, Aaron Gordon looking to bounce back following an injury-plagued previous season, and the overall optimism surrounding the revamped bench rotation as the Nuggets chase another championship run.