The Denver Nuggets came into the season with high expectations after taking the eventual NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round of the 2025 playoffs. 

The Nuggets had their core group of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun together, and made changes around them that they were hoping would be enough to get them back into the finals after winning the championship in 2023. 

They traded Michael Porter Jr for Cameron Johnson after a disappointing playoffs from MPJ, brought back Bruce Brown, who was part of the championship team, added Tim Hardaway Jr for extra shooting, and acquired Jonas Valanciunas to back up Jokic. 

After a successful regular season that saw them finish third in the West, the Nuggets lost in six games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. 

After a season that ended sooner than most expected, now the Nuggets face uncertainty going into the offseason. 

Nikola Jokic remains one of the top two players in the league, but after three straight seasons where the team failed to get out of the second round, changes might be inevitable. 

Speaking at a press conference, Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke said about the upcoming offseason, "I think that everything is gonna be on the table outside of trading Nikola [Jokic]."

Denver enters the offseason with little to no room to manuever in terms of potential free agents, which means any move they make would have to be via trade.

Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Johnson, and Braun are all under contract and making more than $20 million. 

Peyton Watson, who had a breakout regular season but was unable to play in the playoffs due to a hamstring injury, is a restricted free agent and is expected to sign a deal that pays him at least $24 million a season. The Nuggets can match any potential offer sheet thrown his way and can exceed the cap in doing so, but a big contract for Watson means sacrifices would have to be made elsewhere. 

Braun is the most likely trade candidate, though his value has never been lower after a disappointing playoff series. He's only 25, though, and still has the potential to succeed in a different role. 

Gordon has been one of the most important players on the team since he was acquired in 2021, but injuries in the last two seasons have slowed him down and brought into question his availibility when it matters most. 

Murray and Jokic have played together their entire careers and have an undeniable chemistry, but dealing Murray could spark the kind of retooling that brings about a new energy and wrinkle to Denver moving forward.