Denver's Best Lineup Last Season Is Missing Its Fifth Man
The five-man group that outscored opponents by 20.1 points per 100 last season is down to four established names, and nothing at camp has filled the fifth.
Peyton Watson's departure leaves a hole in the most effective five-man unit Denver ran last season, while a one-day stay from guard Boopie Miller shows how little camp movement has addressed it. The preseason opens October 4 against the Jazz, four weeks before Denver needs an answer at Oklahoma City.
What actually worked last season
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones shared the floor for 171 minutes across 13 games last season and outscored opponents by 20.1 points per 100 possessions, the best mark of any Denver five-man group. Watson is no longer with the team, his exit detailed in a September 7 report, and nobody has replaced his 171 minutes at that spot since.
The churn at the edges
Boopie Miller signed a non-guaranteed deal with Denver on September 23 and was gone by September 24, one of several roster moves in the same stretch. None of that traffic touches Jokic, Murray, Johnson or Spencer Jones, the four survivors of last season's best lineup, and none of it has produced anyone to play Watson's old spot.
Why the fix isn't external
Denver's payroll stands at $221.1M, above the first apron, built on Jokic's $59.0M, Murray's $50.1M, Gordon's $33.7M, Johnson's $23.1M and Braun's $21.6M salaries this season. That leaves in-house options like Cam Whitmore, signed to a two-way deal, or Julian Strawther as the likeliest path to Watson's old minutes, since there is almost no room to add salary from outside.
The health question still open
Aaron Gordon's designation flipped from day-to-day to cleared and back to day-to-day on a single day, September 13, and nothing has updated it since. Denver opens the preseason October 4 against the Jazz and plays the regular-season opener October 22 at Oklahoma City on ESPN, with Watson's old lineup spot still unclaimed heading into either date.
Is Peyton Watson still on the Nuggets?
No. Watson is no longer with the team, with his departure detailed in a September 7 report.
Who could replace Peyton Watson in Denver's top lineup?
No one has yet. Cam Whitmore, signed to a two-way contract, and Julian Strawther are the in-house candidates, but the group that produced a plus-20.1 net rating last season remains a player short.
