Entering his 18th season in the NBA, newly minted Denver Nuggets addition DeMar DeRozan is embracing a dramatic shift in his professional journey. Following his offseason departure from the Sacramento Kings and subsequent arrival in Denver on a one-year, $3.9 million veteran minimum contract, DeRozan’s new role among Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon’s rotation has been confirmed. Nuggets head coach David Adelman officially confirmed that the 6x All-Star will serve as the team’s primary reserve option off the bench for the 2026–27 campaign.

The tactical decision represents a landmark change for the 37-year-old veteran. Aside from brief reserve appearances during his 2009–10 rookie season with the Toronto Raptors, Deebo has spent his career as an entrenched starter and primary offensive engine across stops in Toronto, San Antonio, Chicago, and Sacramento. Now, he transitions into a dynamic Sixth Man role intended to elevate Denver’s second unit.

Denver is opting to maintain its foundational starting lineup consisting of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and, of course, 3x MVP Nikola Jokic.

“DeMar DeRozan will be first off the bench and the Nuggets will try to figure out which of those rotations makes the most sense,” reported Mile High Sports, citing official comments from Adelman.

Adelman acknowledged that balancing rotation minutes for the veteran wing will require ongoing experimentation throughout the preseason.

“I think, for me, I’ve got to figure it out through feel in the preseason,” Adelman told reporters regarding DeRozan’s integration. “Who am I taking out and why? If it’s Cam [Johnson], it’s because Cam was really good with the second unit last year. And the other thing is, we have to figure out how long I’m gonna run DeMar … I’m not quite sure yet until we get into the preseason. That’s why those games are important to me. … DeMar, he’s an older guy. I’ve got to make sure I take care of him too.”

For DeRozan, joining a championship-caliber core alongside the Joker with Murray and Gordon offers an opportunity to prioritize team success over individual workload. After completing his first official training camp sessions with his new teammates, Deebo expressed enthusiasm for his new surroundings.

“I think everything will just be easier. I want to make everybody else’s job easier,” DeRozan shared, signaling a complete commitment to his new role.

Preseason provides stage for Nuggets’ DeMar DeRozan experiment

The first test of the Denver Nuggets’ reconfigured lineup came in the October 5 preseason exhibition against the Utah Jazz. The Nuggets lost 109-97 in a game in which most of the lineup played together for the first time.

The second unit was anchored by Julian Strawther, Spencer Jones, Marvin Bagley III, and DeRozan. Deebo came off the bench for 10 minutes to add 5 points on a 2-of-5 shooting and converted one free throw. He also had a rebound and an assist each, modestly better than Jokic’s three points that night.

The decision to preserve Denver’s starting unit maintains the high-level chemistry that produced strong net-rating metrics last season. However, Denver’s postseason exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves highlighted a recurring vulnerability, offensive lulls when Jokic rests on the bench.

To counter it, Adelman is heavily relying on Bagley as Jokic’s backup. He is also likely to lean on Deebo as one of the primary creators in this Bagley-Spencer Jones frontcourt when the Joker is off the floor. Adelman trusted his second unit heavily last season, with Tim Hardaway Jr. emerging as one of the NBA’s most productive sixth men and finishing third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting.

So, Deebo’s move to the bench isn’t necessarily the demotion that everyone thinks it is; it could instead give Denver a veteran offensive creator to anchor its second unit.

By inserting DeRozan into the second unit, the Nuggets gain an elite isolation scorer and mid-range practitioner who ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with a career average of 21.1 points per game. DeRozan’s presence gives Denver a reliable primary playmaker during bench minutes, effectively replacing the production left by Hardaway Jr. when he went to Miami, while adding superior playmaking capabilities.

Adelman plans to use a ten-man rotation as Denver opens its preseason schedule against the Utah Jazz, testing staggered lineups in which DeRozan operates both alongside Jokic and as the focal point of all-bench groups.

With Denver set to open its regular season on October 22 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, DeRozan’s seamless adaptation to a sixth-man role could be the catalyst that transforms the Nuggets’ offense and preserves their star core for a deep postseason run.