The Denver Nuggets have needs to fill, contracts to negotiate, potential trades to make, and only a few future draft assets. In other words, the 2026 offseason is shaping up nearly the same as the 2025 offseason. The Nuggets are seemingly in a mirror-image spot to last year. Except worse on cap space.
The Nuggets are truly in a tough spot. They're coming off a season in which they had an earlier playoff exit than anyone would have imagined, but they had so many "what-ifs" because of injuries. So it leads to thinking that running it back is the best course of action. But that puts them well into the second apron tax, and comes with penalties to roster flexibility and into even larger fines.
The Nuggets need to be different this year
The fact that the Nuggets are still stuck in neutral in a similar situation a full year later shows that something needs to change this offseason. Last year, it was who to extend, who to trade for cap space, and who could be the non-Nikola Jokic minutes answer, amongst some of the questions. So what could their answer be this year?
The Nuggets need to try out some youth on the roster if they're still around, and the Nuggets do run most of the roster back. DaRon Holmes was drafted with the intention of trying him out for the non-Jokic minutes, and he's not been given the chance. He was extended before the 2025-26 season, but he was never used by Nuggets head coach David Adelman. So, maybe try him out?
If they try that, the non-Jokic minutes may have a solution. Then they need to re-sign Peyton Watson and trade someone else to fit the salary constraints. A close comparison to last year.
But instead of just dumping the convenient contract to eventually get under the luxury tax, like Michael Porter Jr.'s was, the Nuggets should take a hard look at shaking things up with an uncomfortable but necessary trade.
The Nuggets need defensive upgrades and draft capital
The sad reality is that the Nuggets are well behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs in defense, athleticism, and youth. The Nuggets were behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Spurs ran them over on their way to the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets desperately need to improve the perimeter and interior defense.
The only way for the Nuggets to get younger and retool what they can around Jokic will be through an uncomfortable trade involving either Aaron Gordon or Jamal Murray. The Nuggets' core trio will be 32, 31, and 30 next season.
The Nuggets need to make a trade to improve the defense, or it could be another repeat of last season, just like this offseason is nearly a repeat of last offseason. It'll be uncomfortable, but it's probably what the Nuggets need to get past the Thunder or Spurs.
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