David Adelman survived the offseason, but the margin for error in Denver still looks thin.
The Nuggets moved on from a first-round exit in the 2026 playoffs, yet the front office clearly still believes in the 45-year-old coach after a season that ended with 54 wins, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and the league’s top-ranked offense. That said, another season that falls short could push him right back onto the hot seat.
The biggest issue hanging over Adelman is the other end of the floor. Denver finished with the 21st-ranked defensive rating last season, and that kind of imbalance is hard to hide when your two best players are Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, both offensive stars who are not known for their defense. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson also have to do more on that side, but it falls on Adelman to get the whole group moving in the right direction.
The Nuggets made a notable move this offseason by bringing in Dave Joerger as Adelman’s top assistant. Joerger has built a reputation for his defense, and Denver is clearly hoping that partnership can tighten up the team’s biggest weakness. If it doesn’t, the questions around the coaching staff will only get louder.
Results will matter just as much as the style of play. The Nuggets have won 50 or more games in each of the past four seasons, the second-longest active streak in the NBA, and anything short of that would feel like a step backward for a roster with this much talent.
More importantly, Denver needs home-court advantage in the playoffs, which means a top-four finish in the West should be the goal. If the Nuggets are hovering anywhere near the play-in picture, Adelman’s future will be a real conversation.
A top-15 defense and another 50-win season would go a long way toward stabilizing things. But the playoff bar is even higher after what happened last spring.
Denver’s first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was a rough one. The Nuggets were missing Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, and Christian Braun, but Minnesota was also dealing with injuries, and that didn’t make the defeat any easier to swallow. It was the kind of exit that fueled the summer criticism and kept Adelman’s name in the discussion.
Since winning the title under Michael Malone in 2023, Denver has not made it back to the Western Conference Finals. Two second-round exits and that first-round flameout are the full resume since the championship, and that is not enough for a team with championship expectations.
This season, Adelman has to get the Nuggets at least to the Western Conference Finals. Anything less, and a coaching change starts to feel inevitable.
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Nuggets May Face Another Roster Squeeze Before Camp Begins
Ryan Nembhards path to Denver could open soon enough if the Hornets move on from him, and the Nuggets are already being mentioned as one of the teams most interested in bringing him in on a two-way deal. The appeal is easy to see. Denver has spent the offseason looking for workable depth and a little more backcourt help, and Nembhards background makes him a logical camp candidate for a team that values steady guard play and low-maintenance fit.
The catch is that Denvers two-way spots are already spoken for, which means any addition would force a shuffle before camp even gets rolling. The Nuggets would have to make room somewhere on that part of the roster, and that creates another small but real decision for a team that is trying to balance development, depth and flexibility as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
DeMar DeRozan Could Unlock A Nuggets Fit Fans Havent Considered
The Nuggets have built their identity around a slower tempo and a half-court game, which is part of why DeMar DeRozan has come up as such an intriguing fit in Denver. His style naturally overlaps with what this roster already likes to do, and the conversation goes beyond simple scoring. In a setting like that, DeRozan could slide into more than one role and give Denver a different kind of offensive organizer behind Jamal Murray.
What makes the idea even more interesting is the lineup flexibility it could create around the edges of the roster. The speculation is not just about star power, but about whether DeRozan could open the door for combinations with younger pieces such as Julian Strawther and rookie defensive specialist Alpha Diallo. For a team that values structure and shot quality, those possibilities are enough to make the fit worth watching even before any real move is made. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Christian Braun Decision With Real Roster Consequences
Denvers roster math has become part of the basketball conversation again, and Christian Braun is at the center of it. The Nuggets are currently over the NBAs second apron threshold, and Brauns contract is a major reason why the books are so tight. What makes the discussion more interesting is that it is not coming from the court, but from the cap side, where every move now carries consequences beyond the box score.
One speculative framework making the rounds came up on Yossi Gozlans podcast and would send Braun to Memphis in a deal built around Ty Jerome and a future first-rounder. The appeal is obvious from Denvers perspective: a path to more roster flexibility and less tax pressure in a league where apron restrictions can shape everything from depth to deadline options. For now, though, it remains the kind of front-office thought exercise that says as much about the Nuggets long-term bind as it does about Braun himself. [Read more 🡒]