The Nuggets’ first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves was ugly enough to spark plenty of talk about change. But one anonymous Western Conference executive sees something different in Denver: not a broken team, but one that can still be dangerous if it stays together.
“Way too many people are writing them off,” a rival Western Conference GM said. “They still have (Nikola), Jokic, (Jamal) Murray, (Aaron) Gordon, and good role players. If they can get (Christian) Braun back on track, and keep (Peyton) Watson, that's still a really, really dangerous team,” Smith wrote.
That view makes more sense when you look back at what Denver was missing in that playoff series. Gordon and Watson were out, which stripped away two of the team’s most important defensive pieces.
Gordon was the glue guy. Watson was the top wing stopper.
Braun, meanwhile, was dealing with an ankle injury that never fully healed, and it showed on both ends.
With those issues piling up, the rest of the backcourt couldn’t hold up. Minnesota got easy drives to the rim, and the Nuggets had no real answer for guards or wings. The defensive problems were made worse by head coach David Adelman’s struggles with the game plan.
Denver’s answer this offseason came on the bench, with the addition of Dave Joerger. If he can clean up the defensive structure, it could end up being one of the smartest moves of the summer. Adelman had a rough time against the Timberwolves, but Joerger brings experience and a track record that matters.
He once helped turn the Memphis Grizzlies from a 25th-ranked defense into the No. 2 defense in three seasons. The Nuggets may not have the same defensive personnel Memphis had then, but the scheme change alone could make a real difference. That’s not something the players can fix by themselves.
So yes, the Western Conference GM’s point still stands: this can be a “dangerous” team. But if Denver wants to stay that way, it can’t start trimming the roster just to avoid the tax. The core has to remain intact.
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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 🡒]