Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James feels the Denver Nuggets are stronger this season than they were at the end of the season.
Although manager Stephen A. Smith has ruled out the Denver Nuggets winning a championship in 2025-26, many smart minds consider them to be strong contenders.
LeBron James doesn’t have any predictions, but he believes the Denver Nuggets will look strong heading into the new season.
He believes the Nuggets are in a better situation despite losing former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Russell Westbrook to free agency.
LeBron James talked about the Denver Nuggets on the latest edition of his “Mind the Game” podcast.
James believes the way the Nuggets targeted experienced players will strengthen an already strong group that reached the Western Conference semifinals.
“I think they had a great summer. They added a lot of complementary players and a lot of battle-tested players. I think they had a great summer.”
“Bruce Brown was actually on that championship team when they won. They lost Russ, Michelle Porter Jr., DeAndre Jordan, but added Valanciunas, who is a big guy.
“They were reluctant to play as a backup center. I don’t think that will be a problem for Valanciunas.”
He added that the cumulative impact of Denver’s additions could exceed the Houston Rockets’ big splash move.
“Houston added KD, and I think they had a great summer just looking at the number of players that Denver added.”
Russell Westbrook signed with the Sacramento Kings earlier this month after an uncertain offseason.
LeBron James will miss the start of the new NBA season as he deals with sciatica issues.
Other than Opening Day, the games he will miss will likely include two games against the Timberwolves, which the Lakers play twice in the first two weeks.
However, the Lakers are not scheduled to face the Denver Nuggets until 2026, so LeBron James will likely be healthy enough to play against the Nuggets.
The first meeting of the season between the two teams will take place in late January.