The Nuggets closed their 2026 preseason with the kind of performance that left a clear message: this group can look a lot like the contender people expect when it’s rolling.
Denver handled the Lakers 121-106 at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night, and both teams were close to full strength. The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon, but still had four of their five starters available.
Los Angeles was only missing a few key bench pieces. For Denver, the setup was exactly what a preseason finale should be - a chance to sharpen the rotation and walk away with some real answers.
Christian Braun was one of the biggest reasons it went so well. After a down year, the Nuggets got the version of him they were hoping to see. In 28 minutes, Braun put up 16 points, six rebounds and two steals while shooting 5-10 from the field and 2-4 from 3-point range.
He looked complete on both ends, and that mattered. With his $125 million contract kicking in, Denver needs Braun to be more than just a spot contributor.
Friday night was the kind of performance that can help reset the tone. He led the team with a plus/minus of +18 and, for one night at least, looked every bit like a player ready to build momentum heading into the regular season.
Trevon Brazile also kept making his case. Drafted early in the second round this summer, he drew attention right away because of his elite length and athleticism. But preseason has shown there’s more to him than tools alone.
With Aaron Gordon and Spencer Jones out, Brazile got the start and delivered one of the most complete lines on the roster: 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 27 minutes. He shot 5-7 from the floor and 2-3 from deep.
That kind of production makes it tough to imagine David Adelman leaving him out of the mix. When Denver is healthy, Brazile may not need to play much, but he has clearly established himself as a dependable next option when the frontcourt gets thin.
The bench also had its say, and that matters for a Nuggets team that always has to answer questions when Nikola Jokic sits. Even with Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones unavailable, the second unit held up.
DeMar DeRozan turned in his best preseason outing, finishing with 14 points, five assists and two blocks on 6-9 shooting. He even had the highlight of the night with a reverse jam over two Lakers defenders.
Marvin Bagley III backed that up with a strong showing of his own, totaling 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks on 6-10 shooting. For Denver, that’s the kind of line that suggests he can give the team something real as a backup center.
Tyus Jones and Alpha Diallo also made their presence felt among the reserve guards, while Cam Whitmore and Bryce Hopkins got fourth-quarter minutes to show what they could offer in the depth chart conversation.
Not everyone got a chance to get on the floor, though. With Gordon and Spencer Jones out, it would have made sense to see Zeke Nnaji or DaRon Holmes get a look in the frontcourt rotation. Instead, both backup bigs finished with DNP-CDs.
That made Friday feel less like a typical exhibition and more like a preview of where the rotation is headed. Nnaji, already considered a trade candidate, and Holmes, who may be in his last season with the franchise pending a 2027-28 team option, did not get the kind of opportunity they were hoping for. Brazile appears to have moved ahead of both, and after what he showed in this preseason finale, it’s not hard to see why.
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Jones situation fits into a wider run of early injury news around the league, with several teams sorting through their own concerns before opening night. The Wizards have AJ Dybantsa day-to-day with an ankle sprain, the Suns are waiting on Luke Kennard after a knee tendon strain, and the Heat expect Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson to be ready for their opener, while the Magic are managing injuries for Franz Wagner and Noah Penda as they head toward theirs. For Denver, getting Jones back on track matters because every healthy body counts as the rotation starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]