The Denver Nuggets made a big difference in the 2025 offseason, giving them a chance to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their rotation can compete with the defending champions, and the Nuggets believe they could get even better.
In the 2025 playoffs, the Denver Nuggets were one of two teams that pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink of elimination. A great series from Aaron Gordon and Nicola Jokic pushed the Nuggets to beat the lightning, but they fell into Game 7 of what to do.
Oklahoma City ultimately became champions after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals and narrowly cutting the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.
After losing, the nuggets quickly returned to the drawings to identify the moves they needed to make. This included one of the best moves of the offseason, a deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. to Cameron Johnson’s Brooklyn Net.
He’s not a starter, but Julian Stroser sees a lot of potential with the Nuggets starter during training camp. He knows they can be the best five-man lineup in the league.
“We (the second unit) felt like we were gelling really well. The energy is very high. We’re all excited to play each other. So many great players who can do so many great things. I’m excited to see that growth.
“They (starters) look pretty sharp. They look like they’ve been playing each other all summer. That’s great, but I know they have five best start fives in the league.
At the same time, Johnson is a great addition and a good alternative to Porter. Johnson has been known as a great plug-and-play option throughout his career, allowing him to unlock the possibilities of the Nuggets for the 2025-26 season.
Denver has the core trio of Murray, Jokic and Gordon still in charge. Christian Brown was also great in the 2024-25 season, allowing him to become a key member of the core.
Johnson adds, everyone is impressed by the depths of the team, including Gordon, who saw great players in training camp.
Strawther and Gordon are not the only ones to rave about the Nuggets’ potential in the 2025-26 season. With Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. playing for the Nuggets, they are stacked with talent throughout the lineup after a major change.
During Media Day, Murray spoke about how the team is being refreshed after a long summer. They will be appearing in the 2025-26 season, especially as they are hungry for success again.
“Not only physically, but mentally, everyone has come back to fresh. I think that’s the biggest thing. The body follows the mind, so everyone is well-being and we’ve been there for a few days,” Murray said after the second day of training camp.
“We not only had a long offseason after losing to the champions, but we also had the opportunity to collect and revive this training camp with our goal in mind.”
When everyone feels good about the starting lineup, it becomes an exciting campaign for the Nuggets to abdicate their Western Conference rivals.