Why Nuggets Have a Real Chance of Signing LeBron James

Future Hall of Fame forward LeBron James is officially moving on from the Los Angeles Lakers, and now the talk around the league is which team will land the 41-year-old superstar for his potential farewell tour. While there are a handful of obvious candidates, like the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat, could the Denver Nuggets get involved?

Here are a few reasons why the Nuggets might have a legitimate shot at signing James in free agency:

Flexible negotiations

Immediately, it seems like the Nuggets would be taken out of contention because of their financial situation of only being able to offer free agents a veteran minimum contract right now. However, this might not be as big a problem as expected.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, James is open to any contract offer this offseason, as his next decision will not be financially based, but more so a desire to compete for a championship and be happy. In fact, he could even be willing to accept a minimum contract.

LeBron James is open to all pitches if a team can contend for a championship, per @ShamsCharania

“If you want to slot him in, you can pitch him on a minimum deal, an exception deal, or a non-max deal.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/Xy9mcD9p8s
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 1, 2026

Obviously, the Nuggets do not have the money to offer James a large contract, barring a huge money-saving trade, but they can practically guarantee that he would be competing for a championship in Denver.

After 23 years' worth of NBA money, on top of a world of endorsement deals, it is no surprise that James is not hunting another max contract. The four-time champion likely wants to play meaningful basketball while he still can, and the Nuggets have been one of just two teams in the NBA (Boston Celtics) to win 50+ games in each of the past four seasons, with a 2023 championship to show for it.

The smartest duo in NBA history?

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James — Feb 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) hug before the game at Ball Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Of course, there are a handful of teams that feel they could compete for a championship with James on the roster, but not many other teams have a three-time MVP on their roster, especially one the legendary forward has openly praised several times.

James has shown plenty of love for Nikola Jokic over the years, saying "there has not been a more dominant, complete player" he has ever played against in November 2025. Jokic has shown similar love for James, saying how everyone should "admire" how dominant he still is at this age.

Jokic and James are largely regarded as two of the smartest NBA players ever. On paper, these two teaming up would be unfair for opponents, although we would have to wait to see how it actually works out on the court. Still, James has to at least think about coming to Denver to play alongside the three-time MVP center.

His connection with Nuggets ownership

Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke and president Josh Kroenke — Jun 15, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke (left) and president Josh Kroenke (right) during the championship parade after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

James has a long-standing relationship with Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke, as they have commonly been seen taking trips together in the offseason. In fact, James admitted that Kroenke attempted to recruit him to Denver back in 2018.

"Well, the owner of the team is a very dear friend of mine. So he discussed it a couple times to me. He sent me the throwback (rainbow skyline jersey). He said, 'You'll look good in one of these.' ... We've been on vacation and things of that nature, we have a great friendship," James said in 2018 (h/t Harrison Wind).

Of course, we should not read too much into this friendship, as even though it is great to have that connection, James' final decision will likely not be based on that. Still, though, it feels noteworthy that the Nuggets have tried to get him in the past, and that strong connection could come back to help them nearly a decade later.

Nuggets should "kick the tires"

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a foul in game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Regardless, on the surface, it feels like the Nuggets are a long shot to sign James. It is much easier to envision him staying in California to sign with the Warriors or returning to Cleveland for a homecoming, but the Nuggets seem to have a legitimate shot.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently brought up the Nuggets as a potential suitor for James on The Hoop Collective podcast.

"I have long believed that if there was an outlier team for LeBron, if he was willing to take some exception, was Denver," Windhorst said. "If you notice, during the year this year, he was overly effusive with Jokic. ... I'll just point out that he has a relationship with Josh Kroenke. ... He has some connection there. If I were Denver, I would kick the tires."

“If I were Denver, I’d kick the tires”@WindhorstESPN makes the case for LeBron James and the Nuggets pic.twitter.com/zp0eCHHcEo
— Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) July 1, 2026

In short, the Nuggets have a chance of signing James. Sure, they will have some competition and a limited amount of money they can offer, but there are multiple reasons why the argued GOAT could actually come to Denver.

Building a potential core of Jokic, James, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon is a recipe for a championship contender, especially with the right pieces around them. While it might still be unlikely, it is at least worth monitoring.

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