Four days after the Denver Nuggets ran out of gas in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, Josh Kroenke spoke to the media. He announced that the team removed the interim tag from David Adelman, officially making him the Nuggets' head coach. Kroenke also touched on what Nikola Jokic said after Sunday's loss.
Jokic said that Denver "definitely" needs more depth, pointing out that the teams with a "longer bench" are winning (OKC, Indiana, Minnesota). It's an issue that plagued the Nuggets all season, and unfortunately, it won't be easy for the front office to fix, but like Jokic, Kroenke knows something needs to be done:
"I heard Jokic's comments loud and clear," Kroenke said. "I think I was thinking that before I heard those words come out of his mouth. ... We lean on a lot of guys for a lot of minutes in big-time moments and that has a cumulative effect. When you're playing seven-game series that can wear you down."
Since winning the title in 2023, Denver lost key contributors Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious-Caldwell Pope (who left in 2024 free agency). The Nuggets drafted DaRon Holmes II in last year's draft, but he tore his Achilles in his first NBA Summer League game. They don't have a draft pick this year.
Kroenke knows Nuggets need to add depth, but it won't be easy
Denver's only route to adding key role players will be trading part of its core. There is one untouchable player on the roster — Jokic — but you can assume that the Nuggets don't want to lose Aaron Gordon or Christian Braun, either. Jamal Murray can be inconsistent, but he's the best player in the league never to have been named an All-Star. That leaves Michael Porter Jr., but trading him won't be easy.
In 2021, Porter signed a five-year, $207 million max extension that goes through the 2026-27 season. His value is lower than ever, and with the restrictions of the CBA, teams will be even more reluctant to take on his contract. If Denver does trade him, the return might not result in the role players the team needs.
The direction the Nuggets decide to go in will become clearer after they announce who the new GM is. Ben Tenzer served as interim GM after Kroenke fired Calvin Booth. Denver could hire him, or bring in an outside voice. That news should break sooner rather than later, considering the organization has an offseason checklist they need to start on.
Hopefully, the Nuggets will find a way to maximize the roster around Jokic, but it'll take a few tough decisions and a lot of maneuvering.