Leading up to the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, there was much debate about what moves, if any, the Denver Nuggets would make to improve their chances at competing for the championship this season. To the dismay of many Nuggets fans, the deadline came and went and Denver made no moves… but it is important to note that this team is still incredibly good.
Some thought Denver may make a big splash and move on from Michael Porter Jr. to pick up more depth and an additional rotation player, but MPJ has been lights out as of late and is playing the best in his career as of late. Others thought Denver may shed Zeke Nnaji, after showcasing him recently, or move on from Dario Saric. Instead it was crickets.
Denver ended up being just one of four teams to not get in on the action for the 2025 NBA trade deadline, but this does not mean that they have ruined their chances at a championship this season. While bullets are flying all around them with major trades of Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox, Anthony Davis, Zach LaVine, and others, the Nuggets still feel fairly bulletproof.
Denver is still the biggest threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West
Looking at the scope of the Western Conference, it is clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder are still the team to beat, sitting at a remarkable 40-9 record, leading the NBA. Outside of that, every other team has its flaws… but only one team has the 3x MVP, Nikola Jokic. That would be the Denver Nuggets.
After the Nuggets 112-90 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, Denver has already caught the Houston Rockets in the standings and are right on the tail of the Memphis Grizzlies. Both of those teams are unproven in the playoffs and on the younger side. This means that they are not battle tested like Denver.
On the other hand teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers may look scary on paper to OKC, but they’ve changed their teams entirely and have a lot to figure out before the playoffs begin. The Thunder may never admit it, but the Nuggets are the only team in the west that they might legitimately fear.
What are the X factors in a potential Thunder-Nuggets playoff matchup?
Denver has already beaten them once this season, on a beautiful Peyton Watson block at the buzzer on Shai Gilgeious-Alexander. The Nuggets also have the playoff and championship experience, a stable foundation of players that have been playing together for quite awhile, and the only other player in the league right now that is better than SGA.
Chet Holmgren will play a huge factor into what a potential Thunder-Nuggets Western Conference Finals matchup may look like, as he is slated to return from injury in the coming days. If he and Isaiah Hartenstein can replicate what Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns did to Jokic last season in Minnesota, they could topple Denver, but that is certainly not a given.
Would it have been nice for Denver to look at improving their team at the trade deadline? Of course. With that being said, they are on a 5-game win streak and won’t be afraid of anyone, OKC included, when the playoffs arrive.