The Denver Nuggets head into the 2026-27 season with a strange mix of pressure and expectation hanging over them. They still won 54 games last season and landed the third seed in the Western Conference, but that came in a year defined by injuries, a first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and an offseason that didn’t exactly move the needle.
The biggest blow came with Peyton Watson. Denver lost the 24-year-old combo forward in restricted free agency after choosing not to push deep into the second apron, sending him to the Cleveland Cavaliers instead. The Nuggets also didn’t make any major additions to offset that departure, which leaves a roster that already had clear defensive issues looking even thinner.
That defense was a real problem last season. Among playoff teams, Denver posted the worst defensive rating at 116.0 points allowed per 100 possessions, which ranked 21st in the NBA overall.
On paper, the front office didn’t do much to fix that. And with Nikola Jokic eligible for a five-year, $359.5 million contract next year, the financial squeeze figures to get even tighter.
That’s the backdrop for a team that remains firmly in win-now mode. The core is older, more expensive, and less deep than it used to be. Still, there’s enough talent here to believe the regular season can go better than the skeptics expect.
Jamal Murray is the biggest reason for that optimism. Last season looked like the cleanest version of him in years, as he played 75 games and posted career highs across the board.
He averaged 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, while shooting 48.3% from the field and 43.5% from three. That kind of production gives Denver a real anchor next to Jokic.
The injury picture around him was much messier, though. Only Murray and Jokic reached the 65-game mark, and Jokic did so exactly, which made him eligible for postseason awards without needing the kind of exemption Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham had to pursue. Jokic also missed 16 straight games because of a knee injury, a stretch that exposed how fragile the Nuggets can look when their engine is out.
Cameron Johnson, acquired in the Michael Porter Jr. trade, missed 28 games. Christian Braun appeared in just 44 after signing a massive extension.
Aaron Gordon’s lower-body problems returned after the heavy load of the 2025 playoffs, and he played only 36 games. Watson, who helped keep Denver afloat while Jokic was hurt, missed 28 regular-season games and then sat out the entire playoffs with a hamstring injury.
That makes any prediction about health a risky one. But there are still reasons to believe Denver can get better luck this time around.
Jokic has played fewer than 70 games in a season only twice in 11 NBA years. Murray is in his physical prime.
Braun’s 2025-26 season looks more like the exception than the rule, especially after he averaged 79 games over his first three years.
Johnson and Gordon are tougher to project. Johnson has never played more than 70 games in a season, and Gordon may be past the point where that kind of workload is realistic. But if Denver’s five best players can stay upright, the rest of the roster becomes much easier to manage.
That’s because the depth chart drops off fast. The Nuggets need smart, efficient hits when they fill out the rotation, and that reality is part of why the Tyus Jones and Marvin Bagley III signings feel modest rather than transformative.
One rookie, though, has made noise in preseason: Trevon Brazile. Denver traded down from No. 26 in the 2026 NBA Draft to take him at No. 35, along with extra draft assets.
The 6-foot-9 Brazile has stood out with his athleticism, his defensive activity, and his ability to hit open perimeter shots. That combination could earn him a spot in David Adelman’s rotation right away.
The prediction here is that Brazile’s preseason buzz carries into the year and he ends up making the All-Rookie Second Team. In that scenario, he becomes the Nuggets’ most important bench piece, even ahead of Spencer Jones. DeMar DeRozan may be the flashier name on the roster, but Brazile would matter more to the day-to-day health of the group.
Even with the defensive questions and all the durability concerns, Denver still has a real floor because of its offense. Last season, the Nuggets scored 121.2 points per 100 possessions, and that came despite all the missed games in the rotation. With Jokic and Murray driving things, that kind of firepower should keep the regular season moving in the right direction.
So the bold call is this: the Nuggets win at least 53 games, finish behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the standings, and spend the regular season looking every bit like a team that can stack wins as long as its starters stay healthy. What happens in the playoffs is another question entirely.
In Other News...
Nuggets Suddenly Have A Familiar Bench Option Fans Will Recognize
Bruce Brown is back on the market after the Knicks waived him while finalizing their roster for the 2026-27 season, and that immediately puts a familiar name back into the conversation for Denver. Brown spent all 82 games with the Nuggets last year, giving them the kind of versatile bench minutes that are hard to replace, especially for a team that values dependable role players who can fit into different lineups without much adjustment.
Denver is one of the teams that could make sense if Brown finds a new landing spot quickly, which only adds to the intrigue around where he ends up next. His rsum still fits what a contender wants from a depth piece, and with other interested teams also circling, the Nuggets are now watching a situation that could decide whether a trusted old option becomes available again or disappears to another roster fit. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Bench Suddenly Has A Rotation Decision Fans Should Watch
Spencer Jones has been absent all preseason with a hamstring injury, but his return could come just in time to add another layer to a Nuggets second unit that has already looked solid in exhibition play. The appeal is easy to see: Jones brings defense and enough shooting to fit alongside Denvers reserve group, which has benefited from a preseason stretch that suggested the bench might be deeper than expected.
Even with that boost on the horizon, the coaching staff is staring at a real rotation call once the games count, especially with rookie Trevon Brazile making a push of his own for minutes. Jones earned his spot in the rotation last season, so the question now is how much runway he gets when the Nuggets open against the Oklahoma City Thunder and whether Denver can keep all of its promising bench pieces involved without trimming someone out. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Rookie Is Forcing His Way Into A Role Denver Needs
Trevon Brazile has spent the summer making it harder for the Nuggets to keep him on the fringe. The rookie has turned in strong showings in both Summer League and preseason action, giving Denver a look at a long, active forward who can fit into the kind of frontcourt depth this roster always seems to need.
His rise has been notable enough that he has already flashed a role that mirrors some of what Aaron Gordon brings to the floor, which is exactly why Denver should be paying attention. Brazile was brought in with draft-night movement in the background, but what matters now is whether his play has pushed him into a real rotation conversation as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]