The Denver Nuggets have spent the first stretch of the 2026-27 season trying to keep their head above water, and the numbers say they’ve done just that. At 6-4, they’re over .500, but the early returns have also left plenty of room for concern. Denver is sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference after winning 54 games a year ago and then getting bounced in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That kind of start puts the spotlight squarely on the starting five, because if the Nuggets are going to get back into the title picture, they need all of them working in sync. Through three weeks, though, the performances have been all over the map.
Jamal Murray has been the brightest spot by a wide margin. His season opened with just six points, which briefly raised eyebrows, but he has been scorching ever since.
In nine games after that opener, Murray has put up 28.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 51.9% from three. He’s scored 30 or more in half of Denver’s games so far, and his efficiency has been the kind that can carry an offense.
The only thing keeping him from a perfect mark is a handful of quieter nights.
Christian Braun hasn’t matched that level, and with his $125 million contract now in effect, the expectations are much heavier. He’s averaging 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 steals through ten games, shooting 48.5% overall and 34% from deep.
That’s better than last season, but it still falls short of what Denver needs from him offensively. The defensive work has been there, though, and that gives him a path to becoming more valuable once the scoring catches up.
Cameron Johnson has had a stop-start beginning because of the injury issue that kept him out of three of Denver’s first four games. Even so, he’s shown enough to remind the Nuggets what he can bring as a shooter.
He’s averaging 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds while hitting 50% of his shots and 43.2% from three. His best outing came in the win over the Memphis Grizzlies, when he scored 23 points and knocked down four threes.
If that becomes the norm, his grade is going to move quickly.
Aaron Gordon has been the toughest watch of the group so far. He’s healthy, but he hasn’t looked like the version of Gordon Denver is used to seeing.
Over ten games, he’s averaged 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 38% from the field and 25.6% from beyond the arc. The offense has been rough, and he hasn’t been moving well enough to make his usual defensive impact either.
He has shown a few flashes, which is why the grade doesn’t sink any lower, but this has still been a disappointing opening stretch.
Nikola Jokic is still playing at an elite level, but even he hasn’t quite been at his own standard. Through ten games, he’s averaging 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 23.3% from three.
The shot has been the biggest issue, since Jokic is usually one of the league’s most efficient stars. He’s still affecting the game in plenty of ways, but Denver needs him back in the dominant form that has made him the three-time MVP the league knows so well.
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Nets Fans Should Watch One Costly Trade Possibility Closely
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Against that backdrop, media speculation has started to circle around another possible move that would further address those same needs. For Brooklyn, it is the kind of trade chatter worth monitoring closely because it points to a team looking for more shooting help on the wing, and it could become one of the more expensive options on the market if San Antonio decides to keep pressing in that direction. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Trade Buzz Around Aaron Gordon Just Got More Complicated
The Nuggets front office appears willing to at least hear people out on Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson, which is enough to keep the rumor mill busy without signaling a true shakeup. Rival teams have had interest in both forwards since the last trade deadline, but Denver passed on making any moves then, and the current posture sounds more like due diligence than a full-on sale.
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Nikola Jokic Just Got Caught In A Nuggets Concern Fans Will Feel
Colorado voters just approved Amendment 87, and the ripple effect reaches well beyond the ballot box for Denvers biggest sports stars. The measure creates a graduated state income tax that will begin hitting income above $500,000 in 2027, a change that is set to matter most for the citys highest earners, including Nikola Jokic.
For the Nuggets, it is another reminder that the business side of stardom can change quickly even when the on-court picture stays the same. Jokic, along with other prominent figures such as Kris Bryant and Deion Sanders, stands to feel the new structure in a meaningful way, with Colorados top marginal rate climbing to 8.4% on the highest slice of income. [Read more 🡒]