How open is the Denver Nuggets’ title window?
After profitable 54 video games in 2025-26 to safe the Western Convention’s No. 3 seed, Denver fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves within the first spherical. However relatively than a splashy acquisition, this offseason had seen the 2023 champions financial institution on a reshuffled convention, the mastery of three-time Most Priceless Participant Nikola Jokic and elite continuity.
However subsequent season will look a bit completely different for Denver after the franchise’s pair of strikes this week: dealing ahead Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday to finish one of many summer season’s largest restricted free company sagas, then signing veteran guard DeMar DeRozan to a one-year deal on Friday.
ESPN’s workers of consultants is trying again on the offseason and taking an early have a look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 groups, with 30 items — one for each group — rolling out every weekday by means of Sept. 18. We’re answering the most important looming questions, evaluating X elements and rather more for all 30 groups.
Fast hyperlinks:
Roster | Depth chart | Transactions
Extra Nuggets protection | Extra NBA
Offseason at a look
Key additions: DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III, Lonnie Walker IV
Key retentions: Spencer Jones, Tyus Jones
Key subtractions: Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas
Discovering a decision to Watson’s restricted free company was Denver’s most essential piece of summer season enterprise. Watson is a draft success story, rising from the thirtieth total decide into one of many league’s extra intriguing younger two-way wings. However retaining the 23-year-old would have been costly — by way of both a sky-high luxurious tax invoice or a salary-slashing transfer to get off an essential veteran and generate extra respiration room for a brand new deal.
Including the 37-year-old DeRozan, a 21.1 factors per recreation scorer all through his profession, replaces the scoring punch Denver misplaced however on the expense of floor-spacing round Jokic. Watson shot 41.1% from 3-point vary final season on almost double the amount of DeRozan’s 2025-26 with the Sacramento Kings.
Denver’s entrance workplace can now shift its consideration to escaping the wage cap’s second apron. The Nuggets are at the moment the league’s solely group above it.
Zach Kram’s grade: Nuggets earn ‘D’ for Watson sign-and-trade
Shedding Watson means the Nuggets do not get to reap the long-term rewards of creating him from a uncooked reserve right into a bona fide contributor. Amid a number of failed draft picks within the 25-40 vary during the last half-decade — Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, Bones Hyland — Watson was the one standout, and Denver clearly missed his two-way capacity in its surprising playoff loss to the injury-ravaged Timberwolves final spring.
However now the Cavaliers will profit, as a result of they had been in a position to create sufficient monetary wiggle room to dip beneath the second apron and add Watson, whereas the Nuggets weren’t.
The Nuggets’ draft decide compensation is sufficiently attractive that this deal is not an unmitigated catastrophe. Now the Nuggets, who did not have any tradeable firsts earlier than Wednesday, can theoretically use this unprotected Cavaliers decide to commerce for a special participant. — Kram
What we realized over the previous few months
From Ben Golliver’s offseason classes piece: Denver is clinging to the established order.
Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, Denver’s most blatant commerce chips, seem like extra priceless alongside Jokic than they might be for many outdoors suitors. Not making a commerce is preferable to creating a foul commerce.
Though it is irritating to look at years cross with out Jokic’s supporting solid having fun with an actual expertise increase, the Nuggets may gain advantage from attrition to different Western Convention contenders. The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder shipped out Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this summer season, the Timberwolves traded Julius Randle and Naz Reid to import LaMelo Ball, and the Los Angeles Lakers parted with LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton. — Golliver
The large query: What’s Jokic’s future in Denver?
An NBA celebrity declining to debate a four-year, $278 million extension with just one season of group management remaining on his present contract would sometimes increase the alarm. Jokic has achieved his greatest to suppress that, sustaining he desires to remain in Denver his complete profession and indicating that the holdup is about a capability to make much more cash subsequent summer season.
However till Jokic is locked in for the long-term, each Nuggets transfer will probably be considered with a microscope, any in-season wrestle will carry further weight and any crack of daylight for Jokic will generate whispers. — Anthony Slater
Basketball Energy Index rank: No. 7
Listed here are the anticipated Web Factors per 100 possessions for the Nuggets’ prime seven gamers for the 2026-27 season. (Word: DeRozan was a plus-0.3 for Sacramento in 2025-26.)
Because the begin of their 2022-23 championship season, nearly each single Nuggets participant has fared higher on offense with Jokic on the ground: Braun, Johnson, Jamal Murray, Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon, and so on.
Michael Porter Jr. was a kind of, too, so that you’d suppose he would have declined with the commerce to the Brooklyn Nets. However he performed simply as successfully as he did with Jokic, whereas utilizing extra possessions. Porter someway broke the Jokic reliance. — Dean Oliver
Examine how Web Factors works right here.
Greatest X issue
F Cameron Johnson
Johnson obtained off to a gradual begin in Denver, however he quietly made strides as he grew extra acquainted with his new teammates. By season’s finish, he completed eighth amongst certified gamers in 3-point proportion and twenty fourth in true capturing proportion.
There’s nonetheless extra room to enhance, extra so with quantity than accuracy: Johnson’s 15% utilization price final season was a profession low and he tried a career-low 4.7 3s per recreation. Denver already led the league in offensive ranking final season with that model of Johnson; think about how good the Nuggets’ offense might be with a extra lively, concerned model in 2026-27. — Kram
Betting perception from our knowledgeable
Wager to make forward of the season: Over 49.5 regular-season wins (-110)
The Nuggets have received not less than 50 video games in 4 straight seasons, together with 54 final yr regardless of fixed lineup modifications. So long as Jokic is wholesome, Denver ought to stay one of many West’s higher regular-season groups. The bench is a priority, however the Nuggets needn’t enhance a lot for this wager to money. One other season near final yr’s tempo will get them over the entire. — Eric Moody
Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publication.
