COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The Nuggets new front office said depth, shooting and defense were three areas they’d like to address regarding the roster. 24 hours into a new free agency cycle they’ve hit all three targets.
Tuesday started off with news that should make Nikola Jokic very happy. A swap at back-up center.
Kings get Dario Saric while Denver gets a big upgrade in Jonas Valanciunas.
Saric was supposed to be the answer to those non-Joker minutes for Denver last season but he wasn’t a good fit and only played 16 games for the Nuggets.
Valanciunas on the other hand is much more comparable to Jokic and should be a better back-up to give the three-time MVP more rest. Last season he averaged 10.4 points a game, 7.7 rebounds, two assists and shot 55% from the field.
Just when you might have thought the Nuggets were done making a splash.. they sign a sharp shooter to reinforce their bench.
Multiple sources say Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Nuggets have agreed to a one-year deal.
Last season Hardaway Jr. started in the most games of his career, 77, where he averaged 11 points a game.
Clearly, the Nuggets aren’t messing around this summer. They have made some of the biggest moves in this free agency cycle so far, again, to improve depth, shooting and defense while still in a championship window.
Monday the Nuggets made the biggest move, though trading away Michael Porter Jr. and bringing in Cameron Johnson. They also made a deal to bring Bruce Brown back to Denver.
[Click here for more on that.](https://www.kktv.com/2025/06/30/denver-nuggets-are-trading-michael-porter-jr-former-2023-nba-champion-returns-denver-reports-say/)
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