The Nuggets didn’t make a splashy coaching overhaul this offseason, but they did quietly hand David Adelman a safety net.
After Denver’s ugly first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, plenty of people wanted change at the top. The Nuggets didn’t go that route.
Instead, they brought in former Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger as lead assistant, a move that sounds less like a standard hire and more like something head coach David Adelman was pushed to do. NBA insider Marc Stein described it on the DNVR Sports video cast as a “mandated” decision.
That word matters. It suggests Denver wanted Adelman to have a veteran voice beside him - a guardrail, in effect - after a playoff series that exposed how much help he needed.
The Timberwolves series made that plain. When Minnesota changed things, Adelman had trouble answering.
Denver’s defense didn’t solve the repeated drives to the basket, including drives coming from Wolves reserves. On the other end, the Nuggets didn’t adjust enough after Chris Finch and the Timberwolves started playing man-to-man on Nikola Jokic and forcing Denver’s other players to generate offense.
With Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon missing as shot creators, the Nuggets struggled to get clean looks and the attack bogged down.
There was also at least one lineup decision that stood out. Christian Braun was dealing with less than 100% health, yet Adelman kept a healthy Julian Strawther on the bench. The source of the issue wasn’t subtle: Braun wasn’t making much of a mark in the series, and Strawther was available to try.
What Joerger will actually do in Denver is still unclear. Stein said he could not confirm whether the Nuggets intend to use him as a defensive coordinator. For now, the point is simpler than that: Denver is leaning on the experience of a former head coach.
The concern now is avoiding a setup where Joerger becomes a de facto “next head coach in waiting” and creates tension around planning or in-game decisions. But the broader idea makes sense.
Adelman needed more support last season, and the Nuggets seem to know it. The key is making sure the dynamic stays clean, with Joerger offering guidance rather than turning into a shadow head coach.
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Nuggets Look Smarter Than Ever For Letting KCP Walk
When the Nuggets let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency two years ago, it felt like a sharp departure from a player who had brought steadiness and championship-level reliability to Denver. Instead of matching the offer that sent him to Orlando, the Nuggets made a choice that was as much about roster balance and long-term flexibility as it was about the player himself, and at the time it was easy to see why that decision invited second-guessing.
Now, with Caldwell-Pope having seen his performance dip, then getting dealt to Memphis, bought out and eventually landing with Philadelphia, Denvers front office looks a lot smarter in hindsight. The broader lesson for the Nuggets is not just that they avoided a contract that no longer looks especially clean, but that they preserved the financial room to keep building around their core rather than tying themselves to a move that was already starting to age badly. [Read more 🡒]
Jokic Just Put Denvers Championship Window Under A Bigger Spotlight
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For Denver, the timing only sharpens the spotlight on its championship window, because every contract decision now gets measured against the bigger question of how long this group can stay together under the cap. Rival teams are watching closely, knowing Jokic could simply wait another year before taking the next step, and that possibility alone has made the Nuggets a more talked-about franchise than usual when it comes to future roster planning. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Tough Peyton Watson Decision As Talks Drag On
The Nuggets offseason has already included one notable change in Peyton Watsons frame, with the forward reportedly adding bulk and going from 200 pounds to 220 as he works to handle a bigger role. For Denver, that physical growth matters because Watson remains a restricted free agent, and the organization has been engaged in contract discussions while trying to balance his upside with the rest of its roster-building priorities.
Marc Stein reported that the talks have dragged on without a final resolution, leaving the Nuggets to weigh how far they want to go to keep a young defender and athlete who fits their long-term picture. Even as another Western Conference team, Minnesota, sorted out its own future broadcast setup with DAZN for 2026/27, Denvers focus is still on a more immediate question: whether Watsons next deal can be settled soon enough to give both sides the clarity they want. [Read more 🡒]