The Nuggets open 2026-27 with a schedule that looks built to give them a chance to settle in fast. Denver starts on the road against Oklahoma City on October 22, then comes home for New Orleans two nights later. From there, the calendar offers a softer landing than last season’s grind, with 14 back-to-back sets and fewer of the awkward home-and-away stretches that wore the team down a year ago.
That matters for a roster that still revolves around the same core. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson are all back, and Denver spent the summer adding more around them.
Tyus Jones returned on a one-year deal after arriving late last season. Marvin Bagley III joined on a one-year contract after Tim Hardaway Jr departed for Miami.
Alpha Diallo and Trevon Brazile add athleticism and frontcourt flexibility.
There is still one loose end: Peyton Watson’s restricted free agency. Spencer Jones’ situation was resolved when Denver matched Oklahoma City’s offer sheet. Even with that uncertainty, the Nuggets enter the year with the structure that made them dangerous in the first place, and with a bench that will be asked to replace real production without disturbing the Jokic-driven machine.
That is why the schedule feels so important. Denver does not see its first back-to-back until late November, which gives David Adelman a chance to manage minutes and shape the rotation before the season turns heavy.
Murray has to stay explosive. Gordon’s physical edge remains central to the defense.
Jokic, as durable as he is, still can’t be asked to play every night at full throttle just because he keeps making the impossible look easy.
The home court should help early, too. Ball Arena has become one of the league’s more distinctive advantages, and a favorable opening month could let Denver build rhythm before the schedule gets tougher. With continuity on its side, the Nuggets avoid the sort of growing pains that could slow down some of their Western Conference competition.
Offensively, the blueprint never really changes. Jokic runs the show.
Murray keeps moving. The floor opens up.
Defenses get stretched until somebody blinks. That remains one of the most punishing half-court partnerships in basketball.
Johnson gives Denver another shooter who can make help defense pay. Braun brings cutting, transition pressure and useful scoring.
Jones offers something the second unit badly needs: an organizer. That could answer one of the biggest questions from last season - what happens when Jokic leaves the floor?
It is a real issue, and one Denver can’t keep solving by leaning on Jokic to clean up every second-unit possession. Jones does not have to recreate the offense by himself.
He just has to keep it afloat by controlling tempo, limiting turnovers and generating efficient pick-and-roll chances. If he does that, Denver’s non-Jokic minutes become survivable instead of fragile.
The West won’t make anything easy. Oklahoma City is still formidable.
San Antonio has climbed. Minnesota is physically imposing.
Dallas has retooled around Cooper Flagg. Houston keeps building a dangerous young core.
There are plenty of teams with playoff ambitions.
Still, the Nuggets finished 54-28 last season and landed third in the West despite injuries and rotation questions. The central pieces behind that run are back.
That is why a 55-win prediction feels realistic here, even if it is aggressive. Jokic gives Denver an unusually high regular-season floor.
Murray remains one of the league’s most dangerous shot-makers. This group does not need to learn each other from scratch.
The key will be avoiding the kind of losses that usually haunt teams with bigger goals. If Denver can do that, a 55-win season would set up the kind of home-court edge that matters once the playoffs begin.
That makes the schedule more than just a list of dates. A top-two seed could change everything in a Western Conference where the gap between second and sixth could reshape a playoff path. Denver has enough breathing room to keep its veterans fresh, and the league clearly still sees the Nuggets as a major draw, with 28 nationally televised games on the slate.
The bigger point is simple: Denver has answers. Jokic can beat switches.
Murray can attack drop coverage. Gordon can punish mismatches.
Johnson can space the floor. Braun can cut behind overplays.
That kind of versatility is exactly what the calendar seems to reward.
In Other News...
Nuggets Are Suddenly In A Costly Chase For DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan suddenly sits at the center of a late-summer market after being waived by the Sacramento Kings, and the list of teams watching closely has grown into a familiar contender mix. The Heat, Nuggets and Nets are all believed to be in the conversation for the veteran scorer, whose steady shot creation and half-court craft still make him a tempting fit for teams looking to add offense without waiting for development.
Denvers interest comes at a time when the chase has become more crowded and a little less predictable, with another team now pushing into the mix. DeRozan, for his part, does not appear eager to rush the process, which leaves the Nuggets waiting alongside several others as the veteran weighs where he wants to land next. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets A Rare Homecoming Spotlight With NBA Stars Returning
Colorado fans will get a rare NBA showcase at the CU Events Center on Oct. 4, when the Nuggets and Jazz meet there during Colorados Homecoming Weekend. The preseason game adds an extra layer of local interest beyond the normal exhibition calendar, giving the Buffaloes home arena a chance to host a pro stage while the universitys campus is already buzzing for the weekend.
The storyline gets even better with a pair of recent Colorado draftees set to take part, as Cody Williams and KJ Simpson return to Boulder in NBA uniforms for opposing teams. It also comes at a time when discussions about possible renovations to the CU Events Center continue, making the night feel like both a homecoming and a reminder of how much the building still matters to the schools basketball identity. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Costly Peyton Watson Decision They Can't Avoid
Peyton Watsons next contract is already shaping up as one of the more delicate negotiations on the Nuggets roster. Denver is trying to keep a young, versatile piece in place, but the backdrop here is simple: the front office has been forced to navigate every new deal with an eye on past financial choices, and Watsons camp knows the market for players in his lane has moved upward.
The Nuggets have put forward a four-year proposal worth about $70 million, but Watson is pushing for a higher annual average and wants to be paid in the same neighborhood as Christian Brauns recent extension. For Denver, the challenge is less about whether Watson matters and more about how far the team is willing, or able, to stretch before the numbers start reshaping the roster around him. [Read more 🡒]