Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon look to lead the Nuggets back to the top of the Western Conference.
Offseason Recap
• Last Season: 54-28 (3rd in West, lost in First Round)
• Key Additions: Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Brazile, DeMar DeRozan, Alpha Diallo, Bryce Hopkins
• Every Nuggets move this offseason
Season Outlook
Denver has high hopes again this season, reasonable enough for a team that boasts arguably the NBA’s top player in Nikola Jokić, as well as battle-tested cohorts Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon to complete its Big Three. The supporting cast will look different, though, with DeMar DeRozan entering the mix and the departures of Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown this offseason.
Jokić remains a constant, fascinating to watch in his rare mix of skills and unathletic-looking body. Murray can finally achieve All-Star status 10 years into his career. Gordon should be good for more than the 36 games he played last season, with improved overall health the biggest key to Denver getting where it wants to go by the playoffs’ end. Coach David Adelman’s preferred starting lineup managed only 23 games together but went 18-5.
Breakout Candidate: Alpha Diallo
The Nuggets have ranked 21st defensively for two consecutive seasons, an anchor too many nights on the NBA’s top offense of 2025-26. Without improvement there, Adelman can concoct as many ATO gems as he likes, but Denver will bog down at the other end.
Enter Diallo, an athletic wing with a wide wingspan who should help make up for what Denver lost in Watson. Diallo, officially now a 27-year-old NBA rookie, was the EuroLeague’s defensive player of the year before joining Denver this offseason.
Diallo’s offensive skills are said to lag behind his defense, but if he can hold down opposing shooting guards and small forwards, Adelman will find minutes for him in that high-powered attack. Jokić, Murray, Gordon and others can handle the points if Diallo can smother some scorers.
1 Number To Know
10 — The Nuggets have ranked in the top seven offensively in each of the last 10 seasons, and last season (when they scored 6.4 points per 100 possessions more than the league average) was their best offensive season in that stretch.
Depth and defense will remain big questions, especially with the departure of Watson. But as long as Jokić is in Denver, you can be sure that the Nuggets will have an elite offense. He’s one of the best passers we’ve ever seen and his career true shooting percentage of 64.1% is the highest in NBA history among the 160 players who’ve averaged at least 18 points per game.
Murray also played a big role in the Nuggets’ success last season, playing 75 games and registering career-high marks for both points per game (25.4) and true shooting percentage (62.2%). His load will be no lighter this year.
— John Schuhmann
5 Must-See Matchups
• Dec. 2: Nuggets vs. Sixers — It’s not just that Philadelphia is the NBA’s alleged new “super team,” it’s the fact that the Sixers’ fate likely will rise or fall based on longtime center Joel Embiid’s health and performance. An Embiid-Jokić matchup always is must-see hoops.
• Dec. 15: Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers — Denver opens the regular season playing 14 of its first 22 games on the road. This is No. 14. How the Nuggets come through that gauntlet, with the schedule tilting their mile-high way, could set up any success that follows.
• Jan. 30: Nuggets vs. Thunder — The nitty-gritty of the season brings not just this meeting of West powers but a rematch three nights later in Denver.
• March 3: Spurs vs. Nuggets — The first of two potentially pivotal games, deep enough into the schedule to impact playoff seedings. First, the Nuggets play host to San Antonio, then have Minnesota in their building on March 7.
• March 18: Cavaliers vs. Nuggets — Even if Denver is humming along and not noticeably missing Watson, who left via sign-and-trade deal this summer, the fans at Ball Arena either will show Watson appreciation for his work the past four seasons or crankiness because he’s gone.
> Complete Regular Season Schedule
Preseason Storylines
No one can quibble with DeMar DeRozan’s resume. He ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, he’s been a stable, mature locker-room leader for years and he still can get a bucket or 12 (18.4 ppg last season). But at 37, is he up for the sixth-man role that would seem to suit him in the Nuggets’ rotation? The fit will be working itself out early.
Veteran coach Dave Joerger, the former head coach in Memphis and Sacramento, joins Adelman’s staff with an eye on defensive improvement. Plenty of work to be done there, and a lot of metrics to gauge early movement.
Cam Whitmore, the No. 20 pick in 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets in mid-September. The 6-foot-6 forward was limited to 21 games for Washington last season by a blood-clot condition.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
