The Denver Nuggets, who are perennial Finals contenders as long as they have three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, fell short of the conference finals for the second year in a row. They lost in a Game 7 yet again; it was the Minnesota Timberwolves that thwarted them in 2024, and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025.
Jokić continues to amaze and deliver offensive wizardry, but everything else is in flux for the Nuggets. Denver needs an effective offseason to make themselves serious contenders again and maximize Jokic’s near-incomparable prime, but there are plenty of issues to address.
Lack of Depth
The Denver Nuggets almost made the Conference Finals, and almost beat the No. 1 seed Thunder, with a five-and-a-half player rotation, something that would’ve been unprecedented.
Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, and Jalen Pickett didn’t play substantial minutes in this series, even factoring in Strawther’s electric Game 6. Michael Porter Jr. suffered a shoulder injury in the first round, and never got right afterwards. That led to Russell Westbrook playing heavier minutes in Porter’s place, often to Denver’s detriment.
The foursome of Jokić, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon had to play nearly every minute they could in all 14 playoff games to carry the load both offensively and defensively.
Denver was one of the most shallow teams in the playoffs, and still almost made the Conference Finals. That resilience is a testament to Denver’s core four, but it’s an unsustainable way to live. Depth should be Denver’s main priority going into the offseason.
Potential Additions
Porter Jr. seems to be the most logical trade piece. Moving him would free up cap space and could bring in one or more rotation players. Denver already showed that they were capable of winning games with him as a negative on the court in these playoffs.
His trade value could be an issue, given his injury history and inconsistency. Still, his skillset is something all 29 other teams value: a tall, lengthy sharpshooter capable of maximizing any amount of space. His contract will be tough to sell, but it’s not outrageously expensive. Teams that need spacing and shooting, especially from the forward spot, will definitely pick up the phone.
Looking at Brooklyn, Cam Johnson would be an excellent pick-up for Denver. He fits the Nuggets roster, provides excellent spacing, and would be $18 million cheaper. At 6-foot-8 he’s sort of MPJ-lite. Johnson is just what any contender needs, and can be the answer to Denver’s MPJ problem.
Free Agent Bruce Brown could also be a valuable addition. He still provides everything he did during his first stint in Denver, where he contributed to their title run. Brown also would provide much needed depth at PG, allowing Murray a lesser load.
Jabari Smith Jr. on the Rockets is another intriguing option. Smith is sort of an ‘odd man out’ in Houston. He doesn’t play huge minutes, can’t quite fit their lineups, but has a valuable skill set as a 6-foot-11 forward that can slash and shoot league-average from three. He might be repetitive of what Gordon already does, but his inexpensive contract (only $12 million in 2025) and young age would ease Gordon’s load from the bench.
Shedding Weight
Denver has to dump some of their current salaries. They must get below the second apron, otherwise their retooling gets much harder in the present and down the line.
Whether you think Booth was to blame for this season or not, some of the contracts he doled out were downright wacky. Zeke Nnaji is signed for four years, $32 million. MPJ is signed for five years, $179 million, and Dario Saric, who never truly made the rotation this year, was signed for $10.5 million dollars. Oh boy.
Keeping the core together is logical, but the rest of the moves aren’t. Freeing up cap space for depth and apron purposes should be a major emphasis this offseason.
Stability
It’s no secret that Denver was a mess behind closed doors. Michael Malone and Calvin Booth destabilized the Nuggets’ building during their cold war, and both parties paid the price. Denver did about as well as they could’ve considering David Adelman took the team over less a week before the playoffs as a first time head coach. The move from upper management, while seemingly reckless at the time, paid off, as Adelman is now set to be the head coach moving forward.
Finding a GM that can align with the head coach should be paramount. Building around Jokić in a way that makes sense and isn’t disjointed is important. Booth and Malone were working on two different basketball worldviews, and the roster mirrored it. Booth’s mistake was not valuing Jokic’s prime right now, and Malones mistake was not adjusting his rotations based on what the roster dictated.
Jokić is the best player in the world right now. The league is deeper than ever, and more wide open than ever. Parity is the new status quo.
Having the best player in the world is a privilege most teams don’t get to have, ever. Denver has taken him for granted. A few roster tweaks, a few salary dumps (Zeke Nnaji), and this team will be right back to their dominant ways. Jokić proved he could contend with no official head coach, no GM, an injured MPJ, and no bench. Just imagine what he could do if he had all of those.
Leave a comment