Altitude Sports has filled out its Nuggets broadcast team for 2026/27, and Jason Richardson is part of the new look. The former NBA guard is joining as a studio analyst, according to Alexander Kirk of 9 News, and Altitude said he’ll also work selected home games as a second color analyst.
Richardson marked the move with a statement on social media, saying, “Denver has always been a special place for me and my family,” Richardson said. “We’ve built so many lifelong friendships here and have always considered Colorado home. To be back in Denver and now have the opportunity to be part of the Nuggets organization makes this next chapter even more meaningful.”
Elsewhere in the Northwest, ESPN’s Zach Kram gave the Timberwolves a C-plus for their offseason work, pointing to the risk in moving Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and most of the team’s tradable draft assets for LaMelo Ball. Kram also singled out Terrence Shannon Jr. as Minnesota’s biggest X-factor in 2026/27, after the 2024 first-rounder turned in some of the best basketball of his career in the playoffs.
Kram was much more bullish on the Jazz, handing Utah an A in ESPN’s offseason review and season preview. He praised the front office for the value it got in a sign-and-trade of Walker Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks and two swaps, though he also noted the move leaves Will Hardy with a tricky center situation. In Kram’s view, neither Jusuf Nurkic nor Jaxson Hayes is a long-term answer, and he’ll be watching how often Jaren Jackson Jr. is used at the five.
Portland’s offseason drew a different kind of attention from ESPN’s Ben Golliver, who said Tom Dundon’s arrival as a first-time NBA owner has overshadowed the Blazers’ personnel moves to a degree. Even so, Golliver described the roster as “heavy on scoring-minded guards and light on frontcourt difference-makers,” and said that if Portland doesn’t trade to ease the backcourt congestion, one or more veteran guards could be forced into “uncomfortable” sacrifices.
In Other News...
Blazers Offseason Shakeup Puts Core Players In A Tough Spot
Portlands offseason took a sharp turn with the addition of a high-profile lead guard, and the ripple effects could be felt all the way down the roster. The move gives the Blazers a very different look in the backcourt and immediately changes the way the team will have to organize its minutes, touches and late-game possessions.
For players already trying to carve out a steady place, the new setup creates real uncertainty. Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday are among the names now facing a tougher path to the kind of role they had in mind, and the Blazers will have to sort out how much overlap they can afford as the roster settles in. Portland also kept some continuity by re-signing center Jabari Williams to a three-year extension, but the bigger question now is how the team balances its new arrival with the veterans and younger pieces already on hand. [Read more 🡒]
Trail Blazers Arena Deal Is Suddenly Riding On One Standoff
The Moda Center renovation talks have become one of the biggest off-court storylines around the Trail Blazers, with the State of Oregon, Multnomah County and the City of Portland lining up a public funding package aimed at modernizing the arena. City leaders have already approved the funding resolution, putting the framework in place for a deal that would keep the building on a path toward major upgrades.
What has slowed the process is a familiar kind of standoff: the teams ownership group, led by Tom Dundon, is pushing for public money without agreeing to the rent and in-lieu-of-tax payments the city wants attached. Negotiations are still active, but the clock is real, with December set as the deadline to finalize the agreements needed for the bond sales that would finance Oregons share. [Read more 🡒]
Deni Avdija Could Be The Key To Portlands New Identity
Deni Avdija spent much of last season acting like a point forward because Portland had to lean on him to help organize the offense when the backcourt was thin. The idea now is different. With new playmakers in the mix, the Trail Blazers can ask Avdija to do less of the heavy lifting with the ball and more of the work that best fits his skill set, especially on the defensive end, where he has a chance to settle into a more natural two-way role.
That matters because Portlands identity appears to be tilting toward length, activity and defense around him, with Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan part of the frontcourt backbone. If the Blazers can keep that structure in place and their new creators stabilize the offense, Avdija could be in line for a real step forward as the roster comes together over the next couple of seasons. [Read more 🡒]