Nov 2, 2026 2:00 PM

The Nuggets are 3-2 five games into the new campaign.

The Denver Nuggets didn't make a ton of moves in the offseason. 

However, that doesn't mean stocks aren't falling and rising, even amongst those that have been there for a while. 

Let's assess the two biggest risers and fallers a couple of weeks into the new campaign. 

Biggest Riser: Trevon Brazile

Joe Camporeale-Imagn ImagesJoe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The 23-year-old rookie, No. 35 overall pick out of Arkansas, has arguably been the biggest revelation for the Nuggets so far. 

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The 6-foot-10 athletic wing earned immediate playing time and appears to have built significant trust with head coach David Adelman, averaging 22.8 minutes per game and having already started once. 

Brazile offers the Nuggets something nobody else on the team really can, and that's a tireless motor and the ability to jump out of the gym. There are shades of a younger Aaron Gordon about him, making it clear to see why those in Denver are so high on him. 

Brazile has blown any expectations set for him out of the water quickly. He's averaging 8.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 51.6 percent shooting. His 35.3 percent three-point efficiency will improve and is already at a level that lets him reliably stretch the floor. 

Brazile is a force on the glass — averaging 1.8 offensive boards per game and just under one block. He is an elite lob threat but is evidently getting more comfortable putting the ball on the floor with reps. 

He posted his career-high 17 points (and nine rebounds) in the Nuggets' 141-135 overtime win over New Orleans on Oct. 24. 

Biggest Riser: Christian Braun 

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn ImagesChristopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Due to the underwhelming lack of activity in free agency, the Nuggets really badly needed Braun to quickly start making good on that five-year, $125 million contract he signed in the summer. 

The good news is that Braun is delivering. 

He is averaging a career-high 15.4 points through five games, a welcome bonus for a player who is mostly known for his defensive prowess. That side of the ball hasn't slowed down either. Braun is averaging 2.4 steals per game. 

Braun, who plays over 36 minutes a night, taking an offensive leap could unlock new levels for the Nuggets to reach as a team. He is shooting 40 percent from three-point range. 

Braun underlined his impressive start to the campaign with a career-high 31 points in Denver's 127-120 win over Phoenix on Friday. He shot 11-for-16 from the field and 7-for-9 from beyond the arc, adding three steals. 

Biggest Faller: Marvin Bagley III 

Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesRon Chenoy-Imagn Images

Bagley III went through training camp and the preseason gaining a ton of stock, particularly in Adelman's eyes. 

He was scoring and rebounding at a high clip and even stepping outside to shoot. It felt like there would be a sizable role for him to play this season behind Nikola Jokic. But that hasn't been the case thus far. 

Bagley III is averaging 12 minutes per night with 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds.

The former No. 2 overall Draft pick (2018) played 11 minutes in the last game against the Suns and didn't attempt a shot. That's mildly concerning, as the Nuggets are carving out a path to success without backing up Jokic with traditional bigs every time he's off the floor. 

Biggest Faller: Zeke Nnaji 

Rob Gray-Imagn ImagesRob Gray-Imagn Images

Nnaji's fate is a knock-on effect of Bagley's. 

The 25-year-old is in his seventh season in the NBA — all with the Nuggets — and has fallen out of the rotation this year after averaging double-digit minutes and featuring in 50+ games over the last two seasons. 

Nnaji has only played once this term, in Denver's 134-114 loss to Golden State at home on Oct. 26. It was a four-minute stint, and he hasn't seen the hardwood since. 

At present, it's difficult to see a way back into the fold for the former No. 22 overall pick out of Arizona. 

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