With the first preseason game only two days away, the Nuggets are starting to look a lot less mysterious. Training camp has already given a clearer picture of how David Adelman wants to sort out the rotation, and while nothing is locked in, Denver’s opening-night plan is beginning to take shape.
The starting five is the easy part. Denver is expected to stay with Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic to open the 2026-27 season. The Nuggets didn’t make any major changes over the summer, so the group that has been in place should remain intact when the games start counting.
That unit already has proof of concept. Last season, when fully healthy, that lineup went 18-5 and established itself as one of the league’s best groups, especially on the offensive end.
Defense is still the main question hanging over the starting five. Even so, if Gordon and Braun can stay on the floor, this group should be better on that side than it was a year ago. Denver will still need help from the bench if it wants the defense to take a real step forward.
The second unit is where things get more interesting. Julian Strawther, DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Jones and Marvin Bagley III look like the four bench players most likely to be in the regular mix. DeRozan’s arrival gives the Nuggets a six-time All-Star in a new role, while Bagley brings another former top draft pick into the fold.
Adelman said this week that he’s looking forward to a backup frontcourt of Jones and Bagley. He likes Jones in the reserve power forward spot, which is a role he filled last season, and he’s confident Bagley can back up Jokic at center even though Bagley can also play the four.
Strawther should have a bigger job as a scoring option off the bench, particularly if DeRozan is asked to handle more of the playmaking for that group. On paper, it gives Denver a bench that looks far more functional than people might assume at first glance.
There’s still more depth behind that core. Tyus Jones brings low-turnover ballhandling and the ability to absorb pressure while distributing, even if his scoring and defense come with limitations.
Alpha Diallo may be the best defender on the roster, though what he does offensively is still a question. DaRon Holmes is another big man with talent, but he still has to show it in game action.
All three have reasons to push for minutes, and all three could earn chances depending on the matchup. Diallo has stood out the most in camp so far, and Adelman said he has "special skill" and will have an opportunity to play if he keeps showing he can be a star defender and make the right plays on offense.
Beyond that group, rookie forward Trevon Brazile, trade candidate Zeke Nnaji and two-way wing Cam Whitmore could all work their way into the rotation at different points during the season. For now, though, none of them appears to be ahead of the 12 players already mentioned.
In Other News...
Nuggets Guard Rotation Just Got More Interesting Behind Jamal Murray
The Nuggets made a small but meaningful roster tweak this week, adding 23-year-old point guard Ryan Nembhard on a two-way contract as they continue shaping the guard mix behind Jamal Murray. To make room, Denver waived KJ Simpson, a move that underscores how seriously the team is taking the search for backcourt depth and steady ballhandling as training camp continues.
Nembhard arrived with some momentum after a notable rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, and he has already been around the Nuggets' camp with an eye on broadening his game. He has talked about sharpening his defense and shooting, while veteran forward Cameron Johnson has pointed to the way Nembhard can create for others and bring another dimension to the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
David Adelman Shares What Nuggets Took From Coach Prime Visit
Deion Sanders made a stop at Nuggets training camp practice this week, bringing a little cross-sport energy to a group already settling into its preseason work. David Adelman said the visit mattered because Sanders did not just show up for a photo opportunity, but shared a message the team could take into the grind of the year ahead, the kind of reminder that tends to land when it comes from someone who has spent so much time around high-level competition.
Sanders also singled out Nikola Jokic during the visit, praising the star centers performance and reliability in the biggest moments. For the Nuggets, hearing that kind of respect from one of Colorados most recognizable coaches only adds to the sense that Jokics reputation reaches well beyond basketball, even as Adelman and company continue building toward the season with those outside voices floating through the gym. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nembhard Already Has A Sneaky Important Role For Denver
Ryan Nembhard may not be in Denver for the sort of headline-grabbing role that turns heads in October, but he already has a clear job in camp. Coach David Adelman said the guard will be used in practice as a quick, pesky test case, the kind of smaller ballhandler the Nuggets need to handle better as they sharpen their pick-and-roll defense. It is the sort of behind-the-scenes assignment that can matter in a league where so many problems start with a guard getting downhill too easily.
The fit makes plenty of sense after Nembhards performance against Denver last season with Dallas, when he gave the Nuggets trouble as a playmaker and scorer. Denver has been looking closely at how to defend faster guards, and rookie Alpha Diallo has been part of the defensive example the staff wants to lean on. Nembhards role may be temporary and mostly internal, but for a team trying to get sturdier at the point of attack, those reps can carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]