3 Nuggets Who Are in Desperate Need of a Bounceback Season

The Denver Nuggets' roster, while having seen a few noteworthy changes over the course of this offseason, still has several components of last year's group onboard for another year.

And within those returning pieces, there are a select few Nuggets that'll be hungry to put together a better season than the one they're freshly coming off of for one reason or another.

On top of that, if one of, or multiple, of those returning pieces are able to take that step forward from how they performed last year, their numbers could end up paying some noteworthy dividends for the Nuggets and their overall success for the 2026-27 campaign.

Let's break down three players on the Nuggets roster who are due for a bounceback season:

Christian Braun | G

Jan 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The poster boy for this piece is none other than fifth-year guard Christian Braun, who enters this season in the first year of a five-year extension worth $125 million that was signed before the 2025-26 campaign––one where Braun had his most disappointing season yet as a pro.

Braun saw dips to his counting stats virtually across the board, shooting under 52% from the field compared to his 58% from a year ago, while also barely getting above 30% shooting from three. His effort on both ends was questioned throughout the year, and now makes his $125 million deal look pretty scary in less than 12 months’ time.

A bounceback season for Braun would be massive; not only for his individual stock as a key fixture of this Nuggets' lineup for the future, but also to ensure this Denver rotation can hit its absolute ceiling on both ends. For them to accomplish that, Braun has to be back closer to the form he proved to be throughout his third season in 2024-25.

Aaron Gordon | F

Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) warms up before game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

By simply looking at Gordon's numbers from last season, you'd see that when he was on the floor, he was the typical productive and versatile piece he has been in Denver's frontcourt since his arrival in 2021. He averaged over 16 points and five rebounds a game while shooting nearly 50% from the field and 40% from three.

The problem for Gordon is that he wasn't on the floor all that much. He played in just 36 games throughout the regular season due to hamstring issues, saw his absences linger into the postseason for what would ultimately be his lowest games played count since being drafted into the league over a decade ago.

Gordon is a pivotal piece for the Nuggets to have in the frontcourt, and it shows when he's playing at full strength. Denver won a whopping 75% of the games where Gordon was on the floor last season as opposed to the 58% win percent they saw when he was out.

His availability may begin to see more questions as he creeps deeper into his 30s. But if at 100%, his presence is massive for Denver and their chances of making it further into the playoffs.

Julian Strawther | F

Apr 10, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Brooks Barnhizer (23) defends on Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) in the second half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Strawther's down season in 2025-26 was in part out of his control. With all of the second-unit changes the Nuggets made last summer, it slotted in a young player like Strawther into a fringe rotation role, which included noticeable drops in playing time. He played eight fewer games in the regular season and averaged nearly six fewer minutes a night.

However, the landscape of the Nuggets' bench looks much different now. Denver lost several pieces of their second unit from last season. Strawther has seen his spot in the rotation level up as a result and might just be in line to be the seventh or eighth man on the bench–– depending on what DeMar DeRozan's role looks like.

For Strawther, this season should be a more than welcomed sight, especially when factoring in the implications in play for his contract year that'll put him in restricted free agency in the summer of 2027. A big season on the horizon would be massive for his future.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google