The Nuggets are surveying the NBA buyout market for players who could fill their 15th roster spot for the stretch run this season if they’re able to stay under the luxury tax, league sources have told The Denver Post since the trade deadline last week. Finding a playoff contributor who’s been bought out of his previous contract can be a stab in the dark. Who might make sense for Denver? Here are 10 players who are available or could become available that co-general managers Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace could target.
Lonzo Ball, G
Ball did not turn out to be the cost-effective Ty Jerome replacement the Cavaliers were hoping for last offseason. Salary-dumped to Utah and waived by the Jazz last week, he’s already been one of the buzziest names on the market. In theory, his ball-handling and perimeter defense could fill needs for Denver if he’s in vintage form. In reality, even those strengths could be fading, based on his bitter cup of coffee in Cleveland, and he’s not going to help the Nuggets’ spacing when he’s off the ball. His medical history is also widely considered a red flag. He and Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog are the only two active players in their respective leagues who’ve undergone a knee cartilage transplant — a rare procedure that doctors have described as a last-ditch attempt to save both players’ careers.
Tyus Jones, G
If the Nuggets want someone who at least gives them a chance to improve on defense, Jones is not that guy. But if ball-handling and play-making are priorities, he is one of the best assist-to-turnover guards of the last few years (123 to 14 this season). He moved around from Orlando to Charlotte to Dallas last week, and he’s been speculated to be a buyout candidate due to the fact that he was salary-dumped twice before the deadline. There’s still a chance he ends up playing out the season as the Mavericks’ starting point guard instead, though.
D’Angelo Russell
The Nuggets certainly know what Russell isn’t. They’ve seen him struggle dramatically at both ends of the floor in a playoff setting. They’ve exploited it. Russell seems to be in decline as he nears his 30th birthday this month, but look, the buyout market is about taking fliers on flawed players. Russell has been an All-Star in his career. He’s an experienced option for point guard depth. It’s just hard to trust that he can stay on the floor in Denver after he couldn’t in Dallas, where he shot 40.5% from the field and 29.5% from three in 26 games this season. He’s expected to be waived or bought out after being traded to Washington. Cole Anthony could be another wild card option for the backcourt if and when he’s released by Phoenix.
Chris Paul, G
Paul announced his retirement on Friday after opting not to join the Raptors after the Clippers finally moved him at the deadline. But would the opportunity to claim the one thing missing from his stellar resume — an NBA title — make him reconsider? The Nuggets have already experimented with an aging future Hall of Famer who has strong opinions and an intense leadership style at their backup point guard position. (Russell Westbrook, by the way, could be another buyout candidate in Sacramento.) Perhaps their new front office is unlikely to return to that playbook, but this list can’t be completed without mentioning Paul. Other veteran guards can already be crossed off; Jevon Carter has already signed with Orlando, and Mike Conley is set to reunite with Denver’s rival Timberwolves immediately after they waived him.
Khris Middleton, F
Middleton was the matching salary in the unexpected quasi-blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to Washington. If the Mavericks buy out Middleton’s $33 million expiring contract soon, the Nuggets are one of 27 teams that would be allowed to sign him. (Cleveland, Golden State and New York are prohibited by payrolls that exceed the first tax apron.) Obviously, the Milwaukee legend is not what he once was. But the idea of another ball-handling forward who can get his own shot in a controlled bench role might be appealing to the Nuggets. Wherever the 34-year-old lands, everybody wants to see him on a contender again.
Kyle Anderson, F
Another veteran forward option that sounds decent on paper, between his ball-handling and play-making chops, his IQ and his reputation for being able to guard every frontcourt position. And another player who might be in decline — it’s hard to tell because the Jazz understandably prioritized its youth movement over him this season. Utah recently traded “Slow Mo” to Memphis, where he’s speculated to become a buyout candidate.
Chris Boucher, F
Boucher barely played in Boston and became a salary cap casualty last week, traded to Utah to help the Celtics duck the luxury tax. He’s been linked to Denver during past free agency cycles and trade deadlines. He’s already been waived by Utah, but does he make as much as he used to for the Nuggets? In the past, he’s been able to knock down open 3s off the catch and protect the rim on defense. He doesn’t have much of a ball-in-hand skillset, though, and if the Nuggets are going to sacrifice that for someone with size, they’d probably rather find a younger, more athletic option.
Haywood Highsmith, F
Highsmith hasn’t played at all this season while struggling with the aftermath of an August 2025 meniscus surgery. The Nets waived him last week, leaving the 29-year-old wing looking for someone willing to take a flier on his health. He’s probably one of the best wing defenders available on the buyout market, which means the Lakers will probably be the first team to dial his number. Spencer Jones is already Denver’s 3-and-D diamond in the rough, but it never hurts to have too many of that type of player.
Kevin Love, F
Highsmith and Love were both on the Heat team that lost to Denver in the 2023 NBA Finals. It’s unclear how much Love has left in the tank — he’s been hanging out on the Jazz’s bench all season, mentoring their young — but if he gets waived and goes searching for another ring, Denver could be a natural destination. He and Nuggets coach David Adelman have crossed paths multiple times over the years. They worked together in Minnesota in the early 2010s when they were both new to the NBA, and they were on opposite sidelines during an Oregon high school state championship game in 2005 (Love as a burgeoning prospect, Adelman as an assistant coach).
Georges Niang, F
Niang was traded four times in the last calendar year, going from Cleveland to Atlanta to Boston to Utah to Memphis, where he was finally waived. He’s been a legit role player on good teams in his career, but his ability to contribute for the next two to four months is up in the air. Like Highsmith, Niang hasn’t played this season, in his case because of a foot injury.
