The Denver Nuggets are still in the LeBron James conversation, but the temperature around that possibility appears to be dropping.
For a while, Denver has been mentioned right alongside the most prominent teams in the chase for James, with the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers also in that group of likely finalists. From the Nuggets’ perspective, the appeal is obvious: James would slide in as a major addition to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, giving Denver a trio that could raise the ceiling of a team that already led the NBA in offensive efficiency last season.
That’s the basketball case. The reality of the sweepstakes may be pointing somewhere else.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, speaking recently on Pardon My Take, said the chatter he’s hearing around the league - including from people in the 76ers’ front office - keeps circling back to Cleveland.
“I’ve talked to people in Philly, and I’m like, what do you think? ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland," Windhorst said.
"Everybody I talked to is like, ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland.’ Nobody seems like they have optimism."
Windhorst’s read helps explain why the Cavaliers are being viewed as the team with the strongest pull. James has the Ohio connection, has already played for Cleveland twice, and the Cavs are coming off a conference finals appearance. Add in the possibility of a third stint in Cleveland, and it starts to look like the kind of finish that other suitors, Denver included, can’t really match.
There’s still a path for the Nuggets, though it looks like the narrow one. Beyond the fit on the floor, James also has a connection to Denver’s ownership through the Kroenke family, and his agent, Rich Paul, has pointed to that relationship as something worth watching.
Paul also noted Denver’s roster pieces, saying, “Murray, Johnson, Gordon, Jokic. They got one big hurdle.
They’ve still got Peyton Watson’s, who’s a restricted free agent.” He also said, “Kroenke family were close to.”
Even with that, the Nuggets are still being treated as a longshot compared with a Cleveland return that feels increasingly like the favorite outcome. If James ends up elsewhere, Denver may have to pivot and address the roster in another way as it tries to position itself as a true Western Conference threat next season.
For now, though, the door isn’t completely shut. Until James makes his decision, the Nuggets can still hold onto a small piece of hope.
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