The Denver Nuggets could still be a great team this season despite what the first-round exit in the playoffs showed against the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. That was last season. It was a whole different beast for the Nuggets, battling injuries and losing continuity as head coach David Adelman had to constantly juggle the rotations. They still had a fantastic 54-win regular season, and they could easily repeat that again.
But to ensure a leap back to the upper echelon of the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks, these three Nuggets need to have breakout seasons.
3. Marvin Bagley III
I know Marvin Bagley III is a veteran minimum addition, but he's loaded with upside as the former number two overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and he's still just 27-years-old. If the Nuggets can unlock that upside as well as continue to develop Bagley's improving three-point shot, there's really a lot to like here. While Bagley only attempted 0.9 three-pointers per game, he made 46.2% of them in 2025-26.
What can really put Bagley over the top this season as a backup off the bench is his ability to spell both Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, possibly allowing the Nuggets to get Gordon more rest. Bagley rebounds well, shoots well at 61.8% last season, finishes around the rim, and his athleticism is much, much better than Jonas Valanciunas in the same spot. Bagley can get downhill to the rim and defend better in the paint, too.
2. Julian Strawther
Julian Strawther enters the final year of his rookie contract with big shoes to fill after the departure of Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway was one of the best in the entire league off the bench last season. But when Strawther was given time, he made the most of it, and I would expect the same this season as well. In 14 starts and 26.5 minutes of floor time, Strawther averaged 14.8 points on 48.4% shooting and 38.5% from three. That's more scoring than Christian Braun or Cameron Johnson last season.
The knock on Strawther is his defense. It's not the best. But if he can add some perimeter stopping power to his game in 2026-27, he'll be ready for that leap in the new backup shooting guard role. Strawther was one of the handful of Nuggets who could get downhill and score on layups. If Strawther fits into that Hardaway role with the same competent shooting, but with more driving ability, it's actually an upgrade over Hardaway.
1. Christian Braun
Of course, Braun is at the top of the list. He enters year one of his five-year $125 million extension on the heels of a regressive campaign that frustrated a lot of Nuggets fans. Even getting back to his 2024-25 form would be a big improvement. Braun averaged 15.4 points on 58.0% shooting while shooting 39.7% from three. Braun was even a much better defender, averaging 1.1 steals, and he could get stops on the perimeter.
The ankle injuries clearly limited Braun and held him back. He never looked in sync, lacked explosiveness on drives to the rim, and was mostly non-existent in the transition game. If Braun can be fully healthy and recovered, there's hope he can at least make the large extension look like only a slight overpay versus the big overpay Nuggets fans see it as now. And if he does make it back to form, the Nuggets would have a much better shot at improving on their 54-win total from last season.
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