The Denver Nuggets spent the offseason strengthening their roster to build another championship-caliber team. They traded away a few players, including Michael Porter Jr., but kept their superstar duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray intact. With new additions such as Cameron Johnson and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Nuggets now boast a deep bench and a starting five that looks more dangerous than ever heading into the 2025-2026 season.
One of the biggest additions in the off-season is veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas. Any fan of the NBA knows that Jokic is one of the most formidable centers in the league, but he still needs breaks during games, and Valaniunas is the perfect guy to fill that role. With 13 years of NBA experience and a reliable average of ten points per game, he brings stability and depth to Denver’s frontcourt. Another name that is the talk of the town is Bruce Brown, a key part of the 2023 championship — Nuggets Nation is ecstatic to have him back. Denver built its bench beautifully for this upcoming season, blending experience in Valančiūnas, Hardaway Jr., and Brown, with young talent like Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther. Watson and Strawther stepped up in key playoff moments last year, and fans are eager to see how they’ll continue to develop this season.
The starting five for the Nuggets is staying very similar to last year, with Murray, Jokic, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon. The one major change is Johnson, who will replace Porter Jr. Johnson will be a great addition to this Nuggets starting five, adding another layer of scoring to this already dynamic team as a reliable three-point shooter. Another change heading into the 2025-2026 season for the Nuggets is David Adelman being appointed head coach. After serving as interim head coach during the 2024–25 campaign following Michael Malone’s departure, Adelman was officially given the position in May. However, Adelman is no stranger to the Nuggets, having eight years under his belt as Denver’s lead assistant coach, he plans to continue the legacy of Nugget’s basketball.
In the preseason, Denver is off to a strong start at 2-1. Although they lost their first game, they have looked increasingly fluid and cohesive recently. With their depth, experience, and star power, a championship does not seem like a far-fetched goal for the 2025-2026 Denver Nuggets. Still, they will have to exhibit chemistry and extreme effort on the court to beat out other formidable teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. The fans will get their first look at their new Nuggets team at the first home game on Oct 25th against the Phoenix Suns.