The moves that made up the Nuggets’ roster shakeup this offseason ranged from borderline shocking — the Cam Johnson-for-Michael Porter Jr. trade — to wildly unsurprising, Bruce Brown’s decision to return to Denver.

Denver starts the season Wednesday with one open roster spot. Here’s how David Adelman’s 14 players on standard contracts and three two-way players joined the Nuggets, fared last season and their expected role now.

No. 0 Christian Braun

How he got here: The 24-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 21st pick of the 2022 draft.

Last season: Braun made a massive leap in his third NBA season and first as a starter. He finished fourth in the Most Improved Player race after averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He was a focal part of Denver’s defense and transition offense.

Season outlook: The Nuggets will once again rely on Braun to produce on both ends. The continued ability to knock down open 3s and growth as a ballhandler will be key to leveling up once again, but Braun’s primary responsibilities remain helping the Nuggets get stops and get out in transition, two skills that earned him a $125 million contract extension Monday.

No. 1 Curtis Jones

How he got here: The 24-year-old parlayed an impressive stint with Denver’s Summer League squad into the team’s final two-way roster spot after going undrafted.

Last season: Jones finished a five-year college career at Iowa State after previous stops at Indian Hills Community College and Buffalo. He averaged 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range for the Cyclones as a senior. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and earned the conference’s Sixth Man Award.

Season outlook: While Jones opened some eyes by scoring 11 points in 7 minutes against the Clippers in the preseason, there’s a long road to playing time. At least the Minnesota native will be prepared for the winter in Grand Rapids; he projects to spend a lot of time with the Gold, the G League affiliate.

No. 3 Julian Strawther

How he got here: The 23-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 29^th pick of the 2023 draft.

Last season: Strawther played in 65 regular-season games with all but four of those appearances coming off the bench and appeared in nine of Denver’s 14 postseason games. The highlight was a game-changing performance in Denver’s Game 6 win over the Thunder when Strawther scored 15 points, making 3 of 4 attempts from 3-point range.

Season outlook: If Denver’s third and fourth preseason games were the dress rehearsals, Strawther’s on the outside of the rotation looking in to start his third NBA season. The arrivals of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown dropped Strawther down the pecking order to start the season, but he’s the next man up. Improved defense would help his case for playing time.

No. 5 Hunter Tyson

How he got here: The 25-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 37^th pick of the 2023 draft.

Last season: Tyson appeared in 51 games, making the first two starts of his NBA career. He averaged 2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in nearly eight minutes per game. An 18-point performance against the Spurs in April marked the first double-digit scoring game of Tyson’s career to date.

Season outlook: The former Clemson Tiger appears headed for a third-unit role. Tyson played double-digit minutes in the Nuggets’ first two preseason games but played fewer than 5 minutes in the third and fourth games. There are a few other players who would have their numbers called before Tyson plays significant minutes.

No. 7 Tamar Bates

How he got here: The 22-year-old went undrafted in June’s draft but agreed to a two-way contract with the Nuggets before the night was over.

Last season: Bates started all 34 of Missouri’s games last season, averaging 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one steal per game. He played his first two seasons at Indiana before transferring and becoming a regular starter for the Tigers. He shot a career-best 39.7% from 3 last season.

Season outlook: The combo guard is behind multiple players at both the ‘1’ and the ‘2.’ As long as those in front of him stay healthy, more time in the G League makes the most sense for Bates’s development.

No. 8 Peyton Watson

How he got here: The 23-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 30^th pick of the 2022 draft.

Last season: Watson started a career-high 18 games last season, triple his amount of starts in his first two seasons combined, and set new career highs in points (8.1), rebounds (3.4), assists (1.4) and blocks (1.4) in his third NBA season. He featured in all 14 of Denver’s playoff games last season.

Season outlook: The former McDonald’s All-American and one-and-done player at UCLA was one of the standouts of the preseason. The Nuggets are trusting Watson with an increased role on the ball. It’s a big year for Watson who did not reach a contract extension prior to the deadline. He’ll become a restricted free agent next summer.

No. 10 Tim Hardaway Jr.

How he got here: The 33-year-old signed a veteran-minimum contract to join the Nuggets in the offseason.  

Last season: Hardaway started all 77 games he appeared in last season for the Pistons. He aided Detroit’s resurgence by averaging 11 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He shot 37% from 3-point range in his 12^th NBA season and posted 12 points per game and shot 31% from deep in Detroit’s six playoff games against the Knicks.

Season outlook: The shot hasn’t cooperated to start the preseason, but Hardaway looks set to be one of the first players off Denver’s bench to start the regular season. He’s benefitted from spending some time playing alongside the Nuggets’ starters. A prolonged shooting slump looks like the only thing standing between Hardaway and a regular role.

No. 11 Bruce Brown

How he got here: The 29-year-old shunned offers from other teams to return to Denver on a veteran-minimum contract.

Last season: Brown was sidelined to start last season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Later in the season, Toronto traded him to New Orleans to acquire Brandon Ingram. Between the Raptors and Pelicans, Brown played in 41 games. The 8.3 points per game was his lowest average since his rookie season with the Pistons.

Season outlook: Brown is back in the role he occupied during the 2022-23 season when his combo-guard skills were a big part of Denver’s second unit. Denver’s second unit looks a lot different than it did a few seasons ago, but Brown will still be a big part of the bench.

No. 14 DaRon Holmes II

How he got here: The 23-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 22^nd pick of the 2024 draft.

Last season: Holmes tore his Achilles tendon in Denver’s first Summer League game last year and missed the entirety of what should have been his rookie season.

Season outlook: It looks like Holmes will be outside of the every-night rotation to start the season, as he’s played most of his minutes with Denver’s third unit in the preseason. Holmes has shown the ability to be a stretch big in limited action, but it remains to be seen if the rest of his game is ready.

No. 15 Nikola Jokic

How he got here: The 30-year-old was famously selected by the Nuggets with the 41^st pick of the 2014 draft.

Last season: Jokic became the first big man to average a triple-double in NBA history, posting 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists in 70 games. He finished second in the Most Valuable Player race. He averaged 26.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and eight assists in the playoffs. He recorded a 61-point triple-double and the NBA’s first 30-20-20 game last season.

Season outlook: The greatest player in franchise history is again one of the favorites to be the MVP. Jokic’s role will be the same, as he will be tasked with being the engine of Denver’s high-powered offense, but his defensive responsibilities could look a little different in Jared Dudley’s system.

No. 17 Jonas Valanciunas

How he got here: The Nuggets acquired the 33-year-old center in an offseason trade that sent Dario Saric to Sacramento.

Last season: Valanciunas started last season with the Wizards and finished it with the Kings. He started 21 of the 81 games he appeared in, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and two assists. It marked the fourth consecutive year he played in 74 or more games.

Season outlook: The Lithuanian is expected to give Denver’s second unit a stronger identity. His combination of size and skill should all the bench to play a closer style to the starters. David Adelman has also said he plans to play Jokic and Valanciunas together when the matchup is right.

No. 21 Spencer Jones

How he got here: The 24-year-old joined the Nuggets on a two-way contract after going undrafted in 2024.

Last season: Jones spent much of his rookie season with the Grand Rapids Gold, but he made his NBA debut and appeared in 20 games last season. He scored a career-high nine points against the Lakers in March.

Season outlook: The former Stanford Cardinal remains on a two-way contract, so he will once against spend some time in the G League. His defensive versatility has been praised by the Nuggets’ new coach, and he played in front of others on standard contracts throughout the preseason. He won’t be an every-night player given his current contract.

No. 22 Zeke Nnaji

How he got here: The 24-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 22^nd pick of the 2020 draft.

Last season: It was another quiet season for the former Arizona Wildcat. Nnaji played in 57 games, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds. He spent most of his time as a small-ball center with limited effectiveness.

Season outlook: A new coach doesn’t appear to have changed Nnaji’s standing much. His playing time this preseason almost exclusively came alongside the rest of Denver’s end-of-bench options. The addition of Valanciunas could allow Nnaji to get more minutes at power forward.

No. 23 Cam Johnson

How he got here: The 29-year-old was traded in the offseason for Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s first-round pick in 2032.

Last season: Johnson assumed more on-ball responsibilities in his final season with the Nets and averaged a career-high 18.8 points per game.  He started all 57 of his appearances for Brooklyn last season and managed a career-best 47.5 field-goal percentage.  

Season outlook: The Pittsburgh-area native is expected to be a seamless fit in the Nuggets’ starting five. He’s a 39% shooter from 3-point range for his career, while his ball-handling abilities and basketball IQ could help the Nuggets improve their starting five. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Johnson also spent some time staggering with Denver’s second unit.

No. 24 Jalen Pickett

How he got here: The 25-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the 32^nd pick of the 2023 draft.

Last season: Pickett played in 49 games, averaging 4.1 points, 2.2 assists and 1.4 rebounds in his second professional season. It was an increased role after he appeared in 27 games as a rookie. He made nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts last season, while earning the first four starts of his NBA career.

Season outlook: If the preseason is any indication, Pickett is behind Bruce Brown and will remain a third-unit option. Pickett is as close as the Nuggets have to a pure point guard behind Jamal Murray, but that won’t guarantee regular playing time in Pickett’s fourth season.

No. 27 Jamal Murray

How he got here: The 28-year-old was selected by the Nuggets with the seventh pick of the 2016 draft.

Last season: Murray quietly averaged a career-high 21.4 points, while adding six assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. The 67 games Murray played were the most since the 2018-19 season, but the lack of consistency to start the season made the career scoring year easier to forget.

Season outlook: There’s been a talk throughout the preseason about Murray’s improved conditioning and involvement ahead of the season. He’s never been an All-Star, but the Nuggets will be thrilled if that changes this season.

No. 32 Aaron Gordon

How he got here: The 30-year-old was acquired by the Nuggets in exchange for R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and a first-round pick ahead of the 2021 deadline. Orlando went on to select Jase Richardson with Denver’s pick.

Last season: Gordon produced the best 3-point percentage of his career, making nearly 44% of his attempts last season. His previous best was 35%. Gordon also took on some of the toughest defensive assignments, while providing a valuable presence around the rim and a more dangerous threat on the perimeter.

Season outlook: If Gordon can provide what he did last season, the Nuggets will be more than happy. The improved 3-point shot gives opposing defenses evermore to worry about, while his reputation around the rim and on the defensive end is well-established. He’s simultaneously a fan favorite and one of the Nuggets’ most important pieces.