The Denver Nuggets have a long and storied history, but it wasn't until last season when they famously broke a championship drought which had stretched for close to 60 years. But despite having never previously tasting the ultimate success, they've made plenty of savvy free agency moves. Let's take a look at ten of the best of them.

8. JR Smith (2008)

JR Smith certainly had his limitations, but during his five years in Denver he became a valuable punch scorer predominantly off the bench, with his ability to make the impossible possible meaning he was a constant threat for opposing defenses. He was initially traded to the Nuggets from the Pelicans in 2006 and averaged around 13 points while shooting close to 40% from long range, and when that contract ran out he entered free agency. Fortunately for the Nuggets, he opted to sign a three-year deal to stay put, and went on to play nearly every game during that time while averaging 15.2, 15.4 and 12.3 points per game in those seasons.

7. Dale Ellis (1994)

Dale Ellis was nearly 34 when he signed with Denver in 1994, but he was still producing at a high level and would go on to become a useful player for the team over his three years there. Unfortunately, his time there was synonymous with a period which saw the Nuggets tumble down the Western Conference standings, but his contribution was relatively solid. Despite his age he improved his numbers every year, maxing out at 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in his final season with the team.

6. Paul Millsap (2017)

Paul Millsap signed with the Nuggets after four consecutive All-Star caliber seasons for the Hawks, and though it was somewhat against his will immediately made his impact felt in Denver. He averaged 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his first season, and though his numbers dwindled over his four years as he entered his mid-30s, his high IQ play and ability to make those around him better made him a valuable contributor for the team.

5. Bruce Brown (2022)

Bruce Brown's tenure in Denver was short – about as short as it gets – but the fact that he played an important role in the team's first ever NBA championship means he will forever be a part of Nuggets folklore. A proverbial Swiss army knife of a player, Brown averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in his solitary season with the team but had plenty of games where his impact far outweighed his numbers. One of his most notable games came in Game 4 against the Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals, when he scored 21 points on just 11 shots to help lead the team to a 3-1 lead which they would never relinquish.

4. Andre Miller (2003)

Andre Miller first signed with the Nuggets in 2003, the same time as the team drafted a talented young scorer by the name of Carmelo Anthony. Melo had no problems making his mark on the league from the get-go, but Miller's presence there certainly helped. He would go on to play four seasons with the team, making the playoffs in each of them, and his output increased with each passing year. Averaging between 13 and 15 points per game every season, he went from 6.1 assists a night in 2003 up to 6.9 the next season, then 8.2, and finally 9.1 in the 2006-07 season. He was ultimately traded in 2007 in the move that brought Iverson to Denver, before rejoining the team for a second, less fruitful stint later in his career.

3. Marcus Camby (2004)

Marcus Camby initially joined the Nuggets as part of a trade in 2002, but in 2004 he entered free agency and opted to re-sign with the team in what proved to be a big win for Denver. Alongside Miller and a young Anthony, he averaged a double-double in each of his next three teams as an important piece in a perennial playoffs team, while his defense was as good as nearly anybody in the league. In all he played six seasons in Denver, and between 2005 and 2008 was named to either the All-Defensive First or Second Team every year, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. Camby's time in Denver didn't finish exactly as he wanted; he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers – he wanted to stay – and felt that he was made to feel at fault for the team's lack of success in the postseason. During his time in Denver, however, his impact was significant.

2. Antonio McDyess (1998)

McDyess was originally drafted to Denver in 1995, but it was three years later that he signed with them in free agency after having spent a year in Phoenix. The circumstances surrounding his return were unusual to say the least; just prior to signing with the Nuggets McDyess got cold feet when he found out he wouldn't be playing alongside LaPhonso Ellis, and multiple Suns' players subsequently petitioned him to remain in Phoenix. Ultimately, however, McDyess did sign with the Nuggets, and in his first season – the shortened 1999 one – he averaged 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, before backing that up with similar numbers the next couple of years. In '99, he was voted to the All-NBA Third Team, while he was an All-Star a couple of seasons later. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury early in the 2001-02, and was subsequently traded to the Knicks as part of the deal which brought Marcus Camby to the team.

1. Alex English (1980)

Alex English didn't initially join the Nuggets as a free agent. Rather, he was traded there during the 1979-80 season by the Pacers, but he became a free agent at the end of that season and opted to re-sign with his new team. That turned out to become a pretty good result for the franchise, as he went on to become the greatest player in Nuggets history. English's storied career in Denver lasted 11 seasons, and saw him rack up all sorts of accolades in that time. He regularly averaged mid-high 20s in points per game on over 50% shooting, as well as in excess of five rebounds and four assists. Between 1982 and 1989, he was an NBA All-Star every season – eight successive in total – while he was also voted to the All-NBA Second Team in 1982, 1983 and 1986. Following his career, English's number two jersey was retired by the Nuggets, while he was also voted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997. Alex English may not have initially joined the Nuggets as a free agent, but just a few months after being traded there he signed as one, and the brilliant partnership that decision yielded makes this unequivocally the best free agency signing in the history of the Denver Nuggets.