Cameron Johnson Doesn't Hold Back on Hype for Nuggets Next Season

This postseason, the Denver Nuggets were forced to watch the action from afar since their first round exit as the New York Knicks would be the ones hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the year for the first time in 53 years.

It was a bit of a shift from what the Nuggets have been used to in recent history.

Through their past eight-straight seasons of making the playoffs, Denver has failed to miss the second round only twice––the last time coming back in 2022, which happened to be the year right before they made an eventual run to their first-ever NBA Finals victory in 2023.

For the Nuggets to take a similar leap this coming season, it won’t be a simple process. Work will have to be done to the roster to ensure they're in a solid spot financially while still boasting a championship-level core. As to how those moves will shake out remains to be seen.

However, when asking someone like Cameron Johnson, he's extremely confident in what this Nuggets team could do once getting into next year's playoffs––and perhaps especially so after watching how the latest Finals just unfolded.

Cameron Johnson Believes Nuggets Can Make a Deep Playoff Run

During a recent episode of Johnson's podcast, The Old Man And The Three, he dove into the Knicks' Finals win and a few of the takeaways he had throughout.

One of those takeaways, though, didn't center upon the Knicks. Instead, he turned the focus to what this year's Finals showcased from the perspective of the Nuggets, and why they might have a group able to make a deep run out of the Western Conference in 2027.

"I have no idea how the offseason will shake out. I have no idea what player movement will be. I know there are a lot of rumors flying around," Johnson said. "I watch these [Finals] games, and I see that our Denver group, we can be that. I can see that we can be that team come out of the West next year, I thought we could have been that this year. And obviously, some things didn't go our way."

"We can be that team come out of the West next year, I thought we could have been that this year." -- Cam Johnson talks about next year for the Denver Nuggets pic.twitter.com/WtxRcRB7xa
— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) June 16, 2026

Of course, a lot can change within the Nuggets' roster between now and next season arrives. Rumors have been rampant surrounding Denver and potential changes that could be in play, some that have even included speculation of Johnson being one of the few pieces on the move.

But with the roster Johnson knows the Nuggets have now, he likes his and his team's chances, despite the ups and downs that ensued this past season.

Johnson's Belief in Denver Isn't Just His Bias Speaking

There's good reason for Johnson to have some solid optimism about what's ahead, and that's even for as rough as this past season transpired.

For one, he's got someone with the case of being the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic still on his team. And that won't be changing for Denver any time soon, no matter how they decide to approach this offseason.

Having Jokic on the squad virtually guarantees the Nuggets to have one of the league's best collective offenses by himself. That offensive prowess gets even better as long as an All-NBA guard like Jamal Murray is still on the roster and playing at the level he was performing at this past season.

If Peyton Watson returns as expected, that's a two-way, versatile wing to add into the equation––which was an archetype that was clearly valuable to the Knicks' extended success with guys like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby as key components of their starting lineup.

Oct 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) after scoring on an assist by center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Those three alone give the Nuggets a great foundation to tweak their roster this offseason. It's not quite enough to rally them to a championship by themselves, which is why Denver has work to do over the next few weeks to actually get to that point.

They'll need to navigate the workarounds financially to find money to re-sign Watson while avoiding the second apron, patch up the defensive holes that were present all of last season, and perhaps most importantly, they'll have to ensure better health and availability compared to the luck this past year dealt them.

There's a lot that has to go right for the Nuggets to get there. But that can be said for any team and their chances of winning an NBA title. It's never an easy task to do so, and if it were, more than 20 franchises would have a ring in their history.

Though for the Nuggets, at the very least, there's a road map they'll be able to follow in order to get them back to those heights they were once at this time three years ago.

Will they be able to do so? It remains to be seen. At the very least, Johnson already sees that type of potential based on his short stint in the Mile High.

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