Ranking the Most Disappointing Players on the Nuggets This Season

The Denver Nuggets ended their season via a sobering first-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves in what might be their most disappointing fashion since winning the championship back in 2023.

And in doing so, the Nuggets saw a fair share of players on the roster fall short of their initial expectations entering the season, both in the months leading up to their first-round loss, and in the games that led to their ultimate demise.

Let's look at three of the Nuggets' most disappointing players from the 2025-26 campaign who couldn't quite meet expectations:

3. Jonas Valanciunas

Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) and center Jonas Valanciunas (17) react in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Valanciunas was brought into Denver this past summer, viewed as someone who could be the best backup big man Nikola Jokic has seen since his emergence as a perennial MVP candidate.

But those hopes would quickly die out as it wouldn't take long for Valanciunas' place in the rotation to gradually dwindle as the season progressed.

Valanciunas went from playing nearly 15 minutes a night before the All-Star break, to 11 minutes a night following the mid-season pause, to then being an afterthought behind Jokic as Spencer Jones would claim those small-ball five minutes in the postseason.

Now as Valanciunas enters the offseason on a non-guaranteed contract that could save Denver $8 million if cut, this summer could mark the end of his experiment with the Nuggets, albeit an intriguing trial to test out.

2. Aaron Gordon

Apr 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) reacts after a play in overtime against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Aaron Gordon's overall disappointment throughout the season and the playoffs wasn't exactly in his control.

In reality, Gordon actually started the season fairly strong, beginning with a 50-point explosion on opening night vs. the Golden State Warriors, and was on pace for a career-best season. But it wouldn't take long for the injury bug to strike him in a drastic way.

Between two extended injury absences throughout the regular season, and a calf injury flare-up to sideline him for half of the first round, it left Gordon missing a total of 46 appearances out of 88 possible games. That was a major hit to the Nuggets' game planning on both ends of the floor, and takes away a huge chunk of their versatility.

Gordon's future in Denver remains to be seen, though if he is set to be back in the mix for another year, having him on the floor is a must for the Nuggets to reach their ceiling as a championship team. We saw what the results looked like without him, and they weren't pretty.

1. Christian Braun

Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The disappointment's of Braun's season have been widely-criticized following the end result of the season, which paired an underwhelming regular season with a rough playoff slate to follow.

He saw his scoring numbers drop, averaged his lowest three-point percentage since entering the league, battled injury throughout the year, and averaged an even lower 8.3 points in the Nuggets' first-round loss to Minnesota, that didn't help much of their offensive woes in the series.

Had the Nuggets decided not to ink Braun to his $125 million extension before the season kicked off, his shortcomings might've not been as widely broadcasted now. But the reality is that Denver's now committed to paying him big-time money for the next half-decade after he comes off a campaign in which his stock has drastically dropped since his standout year three.

Needless to be said, a major offseason is on the horizon for Braun to get back to form. Because if he doesn't, it seems hard to see this Nuggets team reaching their championship heights when paying him $25 million a season after his most recent slate of production.

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