The Denver Nuggets' front office has its work cut out for it this offseason, as the team's season ended in Game 7 of the semifinals for the second consecutive year. There is an urgency within the organization to win another championship with Nikola Jokic, which is why the Kroenkes fired Michael Malone and Calvin Booth with three regular-season games remaining.
The shocking decision to move on from Malone and Booth might've saved the Nuggets' season, as it helped them end the regular season on a 3-0 win streak and take down the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Denver took top-seeded Oklahoma City to seven games in the second round, but ran out of gas. It was encouraging, but still, not what the Nuggets wanted.
Fans are still waiting to learn who will be the next GM (will it be Ben Tenzer?) after Denver removed the interim tag from David Adelman, making him the organization's next head coach. Whoever it is will be tasked with adding depth to the Nuggets' roster without valuable draft assets and under financial constraints. In other words, they'll need to be somewhat of a magician.
What would a successful offseason look like for Denver? Similar to the one in 2022, when the Nuggets turned Will Barton and Monte Morris into Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The front office got an absolute steal in free agency when it signed Bruce Brown. Caldwell-Pope and Brown were key figures in Denver's championship run, along with other veterans like Jeff Green, who signed with the team in 2021.
Nuggets' depth will be key to deep playoff run
Denver could bring Brown back this summer, as he'll be an unrestricted free agent. The only reason he left the Nuggets two years ago was that the Pacers offered him a contract that Denver couldn't match. Brown spent half a season in Indiana before the Pacers traded him to Toronto as part of the Pascal Siakam deal. The Raptors traded him before the following deadline to the Pelicans for Brandon Ingram.
Brown hasn't found the same level of success that he had in Denver. He won't cost much to sign as a free agent, which will benefit the Nuggets if they are interested in a reunion. Denver knows what Brown brings to the table and how he can contribute to another title run.
The Nuggets could also consider Chris Boucher in free agency, whom they were interested in before the 2025 deadline. The 32-year-old forward will be an unrestricted free agent. He's technically been part of two championship teams (Warriors in 2018 and Raptors in 2019), although he played limited minutes. His shooting (he shot 49.2% from the floor and 36.3% from this past season) and defense should be enough to pique Denver's interest again. Boucher is beloved in Toronto, but his time there could be over, given the Raptors' new direction.
Those are just two examples of impactful, affordable signings the Nuggets could make that will boost their bench. Denver isn't going to dominate headlines with a major splash (an MPJ trade would be the closest thing), but a series of smaller moves could be what changes everything for the Nuggets.