Three Reasons to Believe the Nuggets Can Exceed Expectations Next Season

In the middle of an underwhelming 2026 offseason, the Denver Nuggets' expectations have taken a free fall. With no second-string bench outside of Tyus Jones and Julian Strawther, restricted free agent Peyton Watson still on the loose, Spencer Jones accepting an offer sheet with the OKC Thunder, and inexperienced frontcourt depth outside of Marvin Bagley III, the Nuggets have plenty of questions heading into next season.

Despite all of this, we should stay optimistic about the Nuggets' chances of getting back into title contention for the 2026-27 season. Here are a few reasons why the Nuggets can fight through their lowered expectations and make a run for the 2027 NBA Finals.

The three-time MVP with a chip on his shoulder

Nov 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Regardless of what the rest of the roster looks like, the most important piece is Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP was in for another historic campaign before suffering the worst injury of his NBA career—a hyperextended knee that sidelined him for a month. His production took a slight hit after returning, and while it is hard to say it cost the Nuggets, we can say that they would've been much better with him at his best.

Not only did he go through an abnormal 2025-26 season due to the injury, but it also came to an abrupt end with just his second-ever first-round playoff exit. Heading into next season, he should be playing with a chip on his shoulder to make sure the Nuggets do not suffer the same fate, and he will likely do what he can to take care of his body and stay on the court.

Keeping Jokic's co-stars

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, center Nikola Jokic and forward Aaron Gordon — Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27), center Nikola Jokic (15) and forward Aaron Gordon (32) in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into the offseason, there was plenty of talk about the Nuggets potentially breaking up their core. The "big three" of Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon has been plenty successful up until this point, and the Nuggets have made the wise decision to keep them together.

Murray is coming off the best year of his career, marking his first All-Star and All-NBA honors to cement himself as one of the top point guards in the league. Gordon, on the other hand, played just 36 games for Denver last season due to injuries.

If the Nuggets can keep all three of these players healthy and at their best, it is hard to imagine a world where they do not succeed. This trio has learned to play so well with each other that simply having all of them still on the same team should be enough to keep the Nuggets competitive.

A year-two David Adelman

Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacts to a call in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the Nuggets lost in the first round of the playoffs, some fans were calling for David Adelman's head. Obviously, the franchise decided to keep the first-year head coach, and it should pay off.

Despite the Nuggets being one of the most injured teams in the NBA, with their top starting lineup playing just 23 games together, they finished in third place in the West with a 54-28 record. On top of that, they finished with the league's first-ranked offense, continuing to succeed despite a rotation that was constantly shuffling.

Denver's obvious weakness was on defense, where they ranked 21st in the league, but let's give Adelman and his staff some more time to figure things out. Sure, we can be disappointed that the team lost in the first round, but Adelman did a great job with an injury-plagued group in his first season as an NBA head coach.

There is a great chance that everything pieces together well for the Nuggets next season to lift them past their lowered expectations.

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