In the course of the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, the Nuggets starting lineup—comprising Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon—occupied the top four spots in the league for total minutes logged. This can be partially attributed to Denver being the sole team to engage in two seven-game series. Nonetheless, all four players averaged between 37.3 and 41.3 minutes on the court during the postseason, underscoring the team’s issues with consistent depth.
“We definitely need to figure out a way to get more depth,” Jokic remarked following the Nuggets’ Game 7 defeat on Sunday, as reported by Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It seems like the teams that have longer rotations, the longer benches, are the ones winning. You look at Indiana and OKC and Minnesota, and they have been great examples of that.”
Enhancing depth won’t be straightforward for the Nuggets, who face challenges due to maximum-salary contracts for Jokic, Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.. They are projected to be in the tax apron bracket next season, have limited appealing assets for trade, and are the only team without a pick in this year’s draft.
As noted by Jones and Amick, pursuing a trade for Porter might make the most sense, as he is considered the most dispensable among the team’s highest-paid athletes. Troy Renck of The Denver Post echoed this sentiment, commending Porter for persevering through a shoulder injury during the playoffs but asserting that his inconsistency has become a burden for the team.
An April report suggested that Nuggets ownership has a particular fondness for Porter due to his college career at Missouri, the same alma mater of Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke. However, trading Porter during this year’s deadline was “very much in play,” according to Jones and Amick, who observed that the Nuggets seriously contemplated including him in a possible package for Zach LaVine.
Additional updates on the Nuggets include:
- The future decision-makers for the Denver roster this offseason remain uncertain, following the departure of general manager Calvin Booth near the end of the regular season. League sources informed Jones and Amick of The Athletic that the Nuggets have yet to initiate a search for a new general manager. There is speculation that interim GM Ben Tenzer may have the opportunity to secure the role permanently, as previously reported by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
- After playing through a hamstring strain in Game 7, Gordon disclosed to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, that he was aware of the risks involved in taking the court and admitted he “couldn’t sprint,” but expressed his determination to contribute fully. “There was never a doubt in my mind that I was going to play,” he stated. “The only thing that made me doubt playing was the MRI. The MRI told me something worse than what I was feeling.” Interim head coach David Adelman characterized Gordon’s effort as “one of the more incredible things I’ve ever seen,” according to tweets from Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.
- Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook was noncommittal regarding his 2025/26 player option when questioned, as Benedetto relayed in another tweet. Even if he intends to stay with the Nuggets, it might be advisable for Westbrook to decline that $3.47MM option, as a new minimum contract would offer him $3.63MM.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks has released an offseason preview for the Nuggets, both as an article on ESPN.com and in a YouTube video. He highlights key players eligible for extensions this summer in Denver, specifically identifying Jokic (veteran extension) and Braun (rookie scale extension) as two candidates.
- In case you missed it, Adelman is reportedly viewed as a strong contender to have his interim title lifted and take on the role of full-time head coach for the Nuggets.
Image Source: Jamal Murray @ Instagram
