Before Brandon Williams agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Golden State Warriors to round out their backcourt depth ahead of next season, the former Dallas Mavericks guard had several suitors, including the Denver Nuggets.
According to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Nuggets and the Boston Celtics both inquired about Williams after his contract with the Mavericks expired and he entered free agency, although the Nuggets were obviously unsuccessful in their pursuit and have to turn elsewhere to further fortify their own backcourt room.
Why Williams Would Have Been Perfect In Denver
Williams would have been a fine addition to the Nuggets' roster, which is close to complete itself after the signing of DeMar DeRozan, but could do with some additional support. Williams averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game last season and showed that he could step up as a starter when needed, a quality that would be crucial for a Nuggets team that dealt with several injuries last season.
But without landing Williams, the Nuggets will have to pivot and continue looking toward the free agency market and targeting Williams shares some insight into the Nuggets' approach in regard to addressing their guard depth, which stands out as the weakest part of the roster.
Even with adding DeRozan, the Nuggets could do with adding at least two more guards to the squad and they're especially in need of playmakers to play behind Jamal Murray.
Limited Depth At the One
At the moment, their point guard depth behind Murray consists of Tyus Jones and KJ Simpson, which are far from dependable options to take up a significant amount of minutes, and based on the size of Williams' contract, he would have been a perfect fit for the Nuggets both in play style and affordability.
Looking at the free agent market as it stands, some of the last remaining options in the Nuggets' price range would be players like Jamal Shead, Killian Hayes, Nick Smith Jr. or Jaymir Young and they would likely have to make two signings to address their roster, which makes affordability all the more crucial.
The Nuggets still have a few more weeks to make those final signings, but as Williams signing elsewhere clearly indicated, the market is drying up quickly and the Nuggets will have to act fast and act aggressively if they want to enter the 2026-27 season in a comfortable place to keep themselves at a competitive level.