The Denver Nuggets' 2026-27 regular-season schedule was released last week, and one of the highlights was the much friendlier travel schedule than the team had in 2025-26. Their preseason travel schedule is looking light, too, and they could even take the team bus to the recent addition. The Nuggets have added a preseason game against the Utah Jazz at the CU Events Center in Boulder for Oct. 4th.
𝑵𝑬𝑾𝑺: Nuggets will play a preseason game in Boulder vs. the Jazz on Oct. 4 pic.twitter.com/Sve88D2NQN
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) August 17, 2026
Last year, the Nuggets opened their preseason with a game in San Diego against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and promptly flew to Vancouver, B.C., to take on the Toronto Raptors, and then back to Los Angeles to face the Clippers before finally having a game at home. The preseason schedule was a precursor to what was a grueling regular-season travel schedule.
Nuggets at Boulder is a homecoming for KJ Simpson
Instead, unless anything else gets added prior to Oct. 4th, the Nuggets will open just up the road in Boulder in what will be a homecoming for Nuggets two-way player KJ Simpson. Simpson played three years in Boulder before being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 42nd pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Simpson was a standout in his final season at CU, averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
The Nuggets acquired Simpson on a two-way contract in February of last season after a spot opened up by the signing of Spencer Jones to a standard contract. Simpson won't be the only former Buff in the building. Fellow 2024 NBA draftee Cody Williams of the Jazz will also be making his homecoming to CUEC.
The Nuggets got a good break in preseason travel
The addition of the Boulder game to the schedule gives the Nuggets a home-and-home set to open the preseason against the Jazz. The Nuggets will fly to Salt Lake City on Oct. 6th for the rubber match. And as I alluded to earlier, it's a much easier preseason travel schedule for the Nuggets.
For now, Game 3 of the preseason will be Oct.14th against the Los Angeles Clippers, and Game 4, also the last listed preseason game at the moment, will be in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Oct. 16th. That's a whole lot less travel than the Nuggets had last year.
As we saw last year, travel added up at times, with the Nuggets looking sluggish as they had to play multiple games that started less than 22 hours after the previous night's game.
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