The Biggest Question Every Nuggets Starter Must Answer Before Camp

NBA training camp starts in just over six weeks, and the Denver Nuggets still have to complete their roster for the 2026-27 season. With just 14 total rostered players (including one two-way player), they still have some work to do. However, unless they make any drastic changes before training camp, we at least know what their starting lineup will be.

The starting five of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic is one of the best in the NBA, and it showed in their limited time together last season. We should expect this group to find success again this season, but here is one big question each of them has to answer before training camp:

Jamal Murray

Can he keep up his All-Star magic this season?

Murray, 29, has always been well respected as a playoff riser and an elite scoring threat, but last season, he took his game to the next level. When the Nuggets needed him most after catching the injury bug, Murray stepped up, averaging 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, while shooting 48.3% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range.

Murray had a career year, earning his first-ever All-Star appearance and ultimately making the All-NBA Third Team. Murray was nothing short of incredible last season, and despite an underwhelming playoff performance, he did all he could to help out Denver.

Of course, though, the Nuggets will need him to do it again this season. With limited depth behind him (Tyus Jones, KJ Simpson), the Nuggets will need Murray to step up even further. If he can at least replicate his play from last season, the Nuggets would be in a great spot.

Christian Braun

Will he return to the player we saw in 2024-25?

In the 2024-25 season, Christian Braun was Denver's breakout star, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game with impressive 58.0/39.7/82.7 shooting splits. Of course, after this play, the Nuggets handed him a hefty five-year, $125 million contract extension.

However, before the extension even kicked in, Braun already gave Denver some regrets. Last season, he played just 44 games, and in his limited time, he was not great. He averaged 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game with 51.9/30.1/78.2 shooting splits. His numbers dropped in nearly every category, and fans were ultimately left disappointed. In his defense, though, he was playing through injuries.

This season, his huge contract extension kicks in, and Braun's expectations are as high as ever. The 25-year-old guard cannot afford to have another season like that, and as long as he can stay healthy, we should see a much better product.

Cameron Johnson

Is he still bought into Denver?

For most of the 2026 offseason, Cameron Johnson was viewed as Denver's most likely trade candidate, with a clear expectation that he would be moved by the start of the 2026-27 season. While the Nuggets' stance has seemingly changed, we still have to wonder how those trade rumors impacted him.

Granted, Johnson has already been traded twice in his career, so maybe this is something that does not impact him as much as it once did, but he still has to buy into a franchise that put him on the trade block this summer.

Last season, Johnson averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, shooting 43.0% from beyond the arc. Johnson is the perfect floor spacer for this starting lineup, and as long as he can still hit his three-pointers this season, the Nuggets should have no regrets keeping him on the roster.

Aaron Gordon

Can he stay healthy?

To no surprise, the biggest question surrounding Aaron Gordon is about his health. Gordon is arguably Denver's second-most important player behind Jokic, yet he has not been able to stay on the floor as much as the Nuggets need him to.

Gordon played just 36 games last season and 51 the season before, ruining a nice three-season streak of playing 68+ games. The Nuggets are desperate for Gordon to get back toward that 70-game mark, but there are obvious concerns about his health heading into the new season.

When healthy, Gordon is legitimately one of the best power forwards in the NBA, becoming the ultimate "glue guy" to the point where it feels like an undersell to call him that. If the Nuggets want to compete with the best teams in the NBA, they need him.

Nikola Jokic

Will he stay happy in Denver?

Besides Peyton Watson's free agency saga, the talk of Denver's offseason has been centered around Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP turned down a contract extension in each of the past two offseasons, making some Nuggets fans worry about a potentially uncertain future.

By waiting until next offseason, Jokic will be eligible for a historic contract extension. However, he will also be in a position to enter unrestricted free agency if he chooses to decline his 2027-28 player option and be done with the Nuggets. Of course, that is the nightmare scenario for the Nuggets, but that is also why they need to do everything to keep him happy this season.

The Nuggets have a blank check ready to give to Jokic, and the only scenario they cannot afford is one where he is no longer in Denver. Proving to Jokic that the Nuggets can still compete for a championship is the priority. We already know that Jokic will do his thing, so it will ultimately come down to his supporting cast.

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