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By Anne Erickson
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The Nuggets know their franchise centerpiece, obviously. The bigger question heading into 2026 is which young player can carve out a meaningful role around him. Trevon Brazile made a pretty convincing case that he deserves to be that player.
If anyone missed Denver's Summer League run in Las Vegas, the scoreboard tells quite a story.
Brazile got attention throughout the event, but his biggest statement came against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had 32 points while sinking six of his 12 attempts from three-point range, showing an offensive confidence that kept growing with every game. It wasn't one hot afternoon, either. He backed it up over the course of the tournament.
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By the time Summer League wrapped up, Brazile was averaging 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting an eye-catching 47% from beyond the arc. How amazing is that?
That's a combination every NBA team would gladly welcome.
Denver certainly noticed.
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Not long after his impressive showing, Brazile signed a four-year, $9.3 million contract, with the first two seasons fully guaranteed. That's a pretty strong vote of confidence from an organization that doesn't hand out roster spots based on a few good games in July. The Nuggets clearly believe there's something worth investing in.
The encouraging part is that Brazile doesn't have to come into Denver trying to be the next superstar. That's not the assignment. They have stars. He can focus on defending, making some points and bringing energy whenever his number is called. Those are the kinds of players winning teams always seem to need.
If that momentum follows him into meaningful NBA minutes, the Nuggets may have uncovered one of the better breakout stories of the 2026 season.
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