Predicting Which Denver Nuggets Players Will Not Be Back Next Season

I know, I know—the last thing Denver Nuggets fans want to think about is next season; especially in the midst of a first-round war with the Golden State Warriors.

Sure, it’s nice to live in the moment, but sooner or later, the offseason will be upon the Nuggets, and there are some decisions to be made.

As deep as Denver is, there are two things they need to address: Who’s staying, and who’s going?

Timofey Mozgov

Well, two additional players stand out—Timothy Mozgov and Corey Brewer.

The former of which is a virtual lock to stay put in the Mile High City, according to sources.

Despite being the third wheel on Denver’s frontline, Denver certainly realizes the importance of depth—especially when it concerns big men. Kosta Koufos and JaVale McGee are a solid one-two punch, but if either were to go down, it would be catastrophic without a solid option like Mozgov ready to go if needed

Despite being buried on the bench Mozgov has proven to be a solid presence as far as his physicality, and he's a competent defender at the NBA level.

He could very well be a sleeper if he were to get more minutes on another roster, so to have as much depth at center as the Nuggets have, there's no reason they should fear lack of depth at that spot barring some terrible luck. 

Is he staying or going? 

Staying

Corey Brewer

The other auxiliary free agent the Nuggets can expect to return is Corey Brewer. 

The devastating injury to Danilo Gallinari is yet another reminder of how crucial depth is to a championship squad, and it would be wise of Denver to ensure they hang on to Brewer.

His corner threes, knack for getting to the rim and overall energy helps make Denver a seamless machine in between substitutions, and similar to Mozgov, the re-signing of Brewer would further solidify their overall depth.

While there is nothing on paper as of yet, there's no question his timely scoring off the bench is something the Nuggets are looking to hang on to. While some might argue the Nuggets are bit crowded as far as forward/swingmen go, it doesn't hurt to have another reliable scorer off the bench. 

Sure, there's no official word as of yet, but it's safe to say he's staying put.

Is he staying or going? 

Staying

Andre Iguodala

The first thing that jumps out when you examine Denver’s various salaries is Andre Iguodala’s player option. This option grants Iggy with two options—invoke the option before the June 30^th deadline and he’s an unrestricted free agent, and if he does nothing, he’s simply under contract under another year.

Here's the kicker, Iguodala has made mention of exploring free agency to see what options he'll have.

So, should Nuggets fans be worried about Iguodala skipping town?

Easy answer—he isn’t going anywhere.

Watching him play, it seems apparent that he loves this Nuggets squad, and he’s right at home with their crazy quick tempo. The mutual synergy goes both ways as well because he’s exactly what the Nuggets needed.

He’s a good passer, he’s very lethal in transition, and he’s just as solid on the defensive side of the ball, as well.

For someone like Iguodala to finally find a situation he’s comfortable in, and with the opportunity to legitimately contend, it’s doubtful that he doesn't accept Denver's offer in the Summer.

In Denver, he gets to handle the ball a lot and the Nuggets would be more than happy to utilize some of their financial flexibility to bring him back for a longer contract. 

Is he staying or going? 

Staying

Julyan Stone and Quincy Miller

Quincy Miller (pictured) and fellow youngster Julyan Stone are in a bit of tough spot.

Both are still very young, and both are very raw. They also have the misfortune of being on a slightly overcrowded roster already overflowing with talent in a lot of spots.

Considering there would be a logjam, the Nuggets won't move mountains to keep either Miller or Stone.

Because Julyan Stone is still very, very raw, and Miller is similarly unrefined overall, they’ll spend most of their time on D-League rosters or buried on the bench for another squad.

The Nuggets still have plenty of youth that are already past the developmental stages, so to waste time on another pair of prospects would be a bit counter productive.

Free agency can be very hard to predict, but it’s a safe bet that the Nuggets will still be running the break in full-form next season sans one or two benchwarmers. 

Expect neither of their contracts to get renewed. 

Are they staying or going?

Going