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The Denver Nuggets may still be reeling from being upset by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs last season and they may have had a quiet offseason, which includes the still unfulfilled pursuit of Peyton Watson, that doesn't mean the Nuggets should be counted out by any means.
As long as Nikola Jokic is on the roster, the Nuggets have a chance and after a major step up for Jamal Murray that included the first All-Star selection of his career, the core iof the Nuggets is still one of the best in the league and as long as health is on their side, they remain one of the toughest teams to be beat in the entire NBA.
That was true even when health wasn't on their side considering that the Nuggets rose to the third-seed in the Western Conference after a regular season where their entire staritng five missed dozens of games between them and role players like Watson and Spencer Jones had to take up significant starting minutes.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
With those factors in mind, the Nuggets should remain a dangerous team in the Western Conference and that's exactly why one unnamed Western Conference general manager was willing to praise, or rather show awareness of, the Nuggets talent going into next season.
“Way too many people are writing them off,” a rival Western Conference general manager said (via Spotrac). “They still have [Nikola] Jokic, [Jamal] Murray, ([Aaron Gordon] and good role players. If they can get [Christian] Braun back on track, and keep [Peyton] Watson, that’s still a really, really dangerous team.”
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
On one hand, it can easy to write the Nuggets after their inaction so far this offseason when looking at the rising talent of the team's around them in their conference.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder both remain the two powerhouses in the Western Conference while the Los Angeles Lakers have completely revamped their roster around Luka Doncic and there are still teams like the Houston Rockets and Timberwolves to look out for.
Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) looks to pass the ball from the floor during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Still, the roster that the Nuggets have kept together is formidable and the result of last season was that more went wrong then right in regard to factors that were mostly out of their hands and if they can have different luck next season, they should still be looked at with the respect of a championship contender.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) holds his back after a play during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Watson is still a major unanswered question and a continued decline from Christian Braun would be worrying to see, but overall the Nuggets as they stand were already a good team and didn't need much to change in the offseason to stay that way.
They remain a top-tier team in the NBA, something that executives behind closed doors have acknowledged, and now next season will be the test to see just how formidable they still are.
Continue reading...
As long as Nikola Jokic is on the roster, the Nuggets have a chance and after a major step up for Jamal Murray that included the first All-Star selection of his career, the core iof the Nuggets is still one of the best in the league and as long as health is on their side, they remain one of the toughest teams to be beat in the entire NBA.
That was true even when health wasn't on their side considering that the Nuggets rose to the third-seed in the Western Conference after a regular season where their entire staritng five missed dozens of games between them and role players like Watson and Spencer Jones had to take up significant starting minutes.
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Rival GM Won''t Count Out Nuggets
With those factors in mind, the Nuggets should remain a dangerous team in the Western Conference and that's exactly why one unnamed Western Conference general manager was willing to praise, or rather show awareness of, the Nuggets talent going into next season.
“Way too many people are writing them off,” a rival Western Conference general manager said (via Spotrac). “They still have [Nikola] Jokic, [Jamal] Murray, ([Aaron Gordon] and good role players. If they can get [Christian] Braun back on track, and keep [Peyton] Watson, that’s still a really, really dangerous team.”
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Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
On one hand, it can easy to write the Nuggets after their inaction so far this offseason when looking at the rising talent of the team's around them in their conference.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder both remain the two powerhouses in the Western Conference while the Los Angeles Lakers have completely revamped their roster around Luka Doncic and there are still teams like the Houston Rockets and Timberwolves to look out for.
You must be registered for see images attach
Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) looks to pass the ball from the floor during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Why Nuggets Are Dangerous
Still, the roster that the Nuggets have kept together is formidable and the result of last season was that more went wrong then right in regard to factors that were mostly out of their hands and if they can have different luck next season, they should still be looked at with the respect of a championship contender.
You must be registered for see images attach
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) holds his back after a play during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Watson is still a major unanswered question and a continued decline from Christian Braun would be worrying to see, but overall the Nuggets as they stand were already a good team and didn't need much to change in the offseason to stay that way.
They remain a top-tier team in the NBA, something that executives behind closed doors have acknowledged, and now next season will be the test to see just how formidable they still are.
Continue reading...
