Nuggets Pivot from LeBron to DeMar DeRozan in Ultimate Free Agency Backup Plan

The Denver Nuggets just realized that if you cannot land the oldest active legend in the NBA, you might as well grab the guy who has mastered the 1998 shot chart. According to a report from Chris Haynes, six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan intends to sign with Denver.

This is the ultimate contingency plan. The Nuggets were reportedly in the mix for LeBron James, but after missing out on the king, they beat out the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to land a 36-year-old who was recently waived by the Sacramento Kings.

"Chris Haynes reported that DeRozan intends to sign with the Nuggets."

Going from LeBron to DeRozan is like showing up to a dealership for a Ferrari and driving off in a very reliable, high-end sedan. It will absolutely get you to work, but nobody is taking pictures of it at a stoplight.

Still, Denver is getting a guy who can flat-out score. DeRozan put up 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game recently, proving he still has plenty of tread left on the tires.

The fit is going to be fascinating. DeRozan operates almost exclusively in the midrange, which means the spacing around Nikola Jokic is about to look like a crowded elevator.

But for a team hunting for veteran minimum deals to keep their championship window propped open, you cannot do much better than a professional bucket-getter who does not need his hand held.

This move gives Denver a legitimate late-game isolation option when the offense stalls, which is exactly the kind of marginal upgrade that tilts Western Conference futures markets.

Now we just have to wait for training camp to see if a team built on constant motion can integrate a guy whose signature move is a series of methodical pump fakes.