Trevon Brazile's Summer League breakout puts two Nuggets big men on notice

Nugg Love · Jul 21, 2026 17:30 · 2 min read

Trevon Brazile's Summer League breakout puts two Nuggets big men on notice — Mar 13, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (4) reacts after a made three point basket against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trevon Brazile gave the Nuggets every reason to move ahead of two former-first round picks on the depth chart.

The Denver Nuggets Summer League session has just wrapped up, and Trevon Brazile stole the show in Las Vegas. Brazile was the 35th pick of the NBA draft, but he showed first-round draft talent, and he probably just put DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji on notice for an even tougher path to playing time.

It was already going to be tough for both Holmes and Nnaji to see quality minutes after the Nuggets signed Marvin Bagley III to be the main backup for Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon. But after watching the athleticism and the way Brazile stretched the floor by hitting 6-12 from three in his 32-point explosion, it's tough to see how Holmes and especially Nnaji get around him.

Nnaji and Holmes should be at the bottom of the depth charts

Holmes never had a chance to show what he could do as a rookie after he missed his entire rookie season due to a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in his first Summer League game. He was never given much of a chance when he was healthy in 2025-26, and he saw just 8.4 minutes per game over 25 games and six starts. He was given a chance during those starts. But he couldn't produce any decent results, and he averaged just 3.7 points and 1.4 rebounds on the season.

Nnaji was no better in the 52 games and 12.0 minutes of action he saw. Nnaji, the third-longest tenured Nugget behind Jokic and Jamal Murray, averaged just 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds. Nnaji has never cracked the rotation during his six-year career, and the former first-round pick has become nothing more than a garbage-time player.

Neither one of them showed anything that should keep them ahead of Brazile on the depth chart. Brazile offered a lot to be excited about, and there's no reason for the Nuggets to keep Brazile buried behind them and mess up the development of another draft pick by riding the pine.

The Nuggets need to break tradition and let Brazile play

It feels like an eternity since the Nuggets took the training wheels off a rookie and let him play in the rotation. You have to go back to Christian Braun as the last rookie to see substantial rotational minutes.

That mold should be broken by Brazile. At least that's the hope. Brazile has more upside, and the Nuggets need to play the upside. That makes it hard to imagine how Nnaji and Holmes see any court time this year without another mountain of injuries piling up.