The Nuggets may be staring at a turning point, and this season could decide how long three key veterans stay in Denver.
That’s the reality after a stretch that has gone from a 2023 championship to back-to-back second-round exits and then a first-round loss last season. With Nikola Jokic now 31, Denver has little room to drift if it wants to get back into title contention. The core has already shown it can win, but the next season could matter just as much for the roster’s future as it does for the standings.
Julian Strawther is one of the clearest examples. With Tim Hardaway Jr. gone this offseason, the pressure on Strawther has jumped.
He’s now expected to handle the Nuggets’ second-string shooting guard role, and that means more than just filling minutes. He has to make a real impact.
The timing makes it even more important. Strawther is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and if he doesn’t land an extension before opening night, he’ll be headed for restricted free agency in 2027.
Denver would still have a chance to keep him, but if he doesn’t show enough to earn a long-term commitment, this could easily be his last year in a Nuggets uniform. He averaged 7.2 points per game last season while shooting 38.7% from deep.
Cameron Johnson is in a different spot, but the uncertainty is just as real. Denver brought him in via a major trade last offseason, and he delivered in his first year with the team. Still, he’s on an expiring deal, which leaves him exposed both as a trade piece and as a possible free agent departure next summer.
Johnson put up 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game last season, and he shot 43% from beyond the arc. That kind of production matters in Denver’s starting lineup.
If he gives the Nuggets enough reason to bring him back on a more team-friendly contract, he could remain in Denver beyond 2027. But that doesn’t feel like the most likely outcome.
Unless the Nuggets revise their plans, Johnson should be considered a strong trade candidate before next February’s deadline.
Aaron Gordon might be the most uncomfortable name of all. As vital as he is to the Nuggets, he could also be the first member of the core to get moved if the season keeps trending in the wrong direction, especially if the health issues continue.
Gordon played only 36 games last season, and he appeared in just 51 the year before. When he’s on the floor, he can be one of the league’s best power forwards.
The problem is that Denver hasn’t been able to count on him for two straight playoff runs, and that kind of uncertainty wears thin fast. If Gordon can stay healthy and be a steady force this season, his future in Denver should be safe.
If not, the conversation changes quickly.
In Other News...
Cam Whitmore Could Change How Nuggets Fans View The Peyton Watson Trade
The Peyton Watson trade left plenty of Nuggets fans uneasy, since Watson still looked like the kind of young, homegrown piece Denver could have built around for years. But the story has taken an unexpected turn with Cam Whitmore, another former first-round pick who was part of the larger deal and now gives the Nuggets a fresh developmental swing. Whitmore arrives on a two-way contract, which keeps the risk low while giving Denver a chance to see whether his talent can translate into real help down the line.
For a team that has had to balance contending right now with keeping an eye on the future, that matters. Whitmore is still more projection than certainty, and no one is pretending his presence makes up for what fans felt they lost when Watson moved on. Still, if he develops into a useful rotation player, the trade will look a lot less painful in hindsight, and Nuggets supporters may end up viewing the whole sequence a little differently. [Read more 🡒]
DeMar DeRozan Could Change How Nuggets Fans View This Offseason
The Nuggets spent most of the offseason boxed in by salary cap realities, which made every move feel more about survival than splash. They brought back Tyus Jones, dealt Peyton Watson to help manage luxury tax costs, and generally had little wiggle room to reshape the roster in a meaningful way.
Then came DeMar DeRozan, a veteran scorer whose game gives Denver another layer it had been missing. His arrival should make the offense more versatile and add the sort of seasoned presence the Nuggets have been trying to preserve, which is why this summer may look a lot different if his fit proves as useful as it appears on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Camp Could Decide Two Crucial Bench Roles
Denver enters training camp with the same basic shape that carried it into contention, but the real intrigue is on the second unit. The starting group is mostly set, which only makes the bench competition more important for a team that knows it needs more reliable depth to keep its title hopes on track.
Lonnie Walker IV is part of that fight after signing a non-guaranteed deal, while DaRon Holmes is trying to turn a secure roster place into a meaningful rotation role after returning from injury. Both have a clear path to matter if camp goes well, and for Denver, those battles could end up shaping not just the final roster, but how workable the bench looks when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]