The Denver Nuggets have started the 2025-26 NBA free agency moratorium off with a bang, first swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson and then signing jack-of-all-trades Bruce Brown Jr. to a one-year deal, per ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Nuggets Bring Back Bruce Brown Jr. In NBA Free Agency
In the following days, the bulk of conversation will no doubt circle around the Porter-Johnson trade.
Almost 1.5 hours into free agency, the Nuggets land Cam Johnson via trade for Michael Porter Jr. and bring back a fan favorite and do-it-all forward in Bruce Brown Jr. https://t.co/UeFkHyAQXC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
However, his relocation has been brewing for a while now. The 6-foot-10 sniper’s a high-quality player, averaging 17.4 points per game and shooting 40.1 percent from 3 over the past three seasons. Nevertheless, he’s the only member of the rotation that’s consistently been grumbling about his role.
With that being said, this is how Brown has described himself (h/t NBA.com’s Jim Eichenhofer):
“I can guard (positions) 1 through 5. I think I’m a really good defender. Get deflections, guard the best offensive player every night. Offensively, I’m plug-and-play, figure it out on the fly. Play off the great guys we have.”
With he and Johnson in tow, Denver simply has a more selfless rotation.
Russell Westbrook Replacement?
The Nuggets also figure to improve defensively.
Though Johnson will be replacing Porter, Brown could be doing the same, but with Russell Westbrook. To that point, Westbrook is set to take a free agent meeting with the Sacramento Kings, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. He did play well for the Nuggets in spurts last season, but his weaknesses were a bit too much of a hindrance.
Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that this isn’t Brown’s rodeo in Denver. In 2022-23, their championship season, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
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