The Denver Nuggets took a big hit this summer as two-time NBA Champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left the franchise to sign a three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic. That move along with an expensive salary dump for Reggie Jackson, and a season-ending injury to first-round pick Da’Ron Holmes led to 18 anonymous coaches voting them for the worst offseason to ESPN.
The poll was organized by Tim MacMahon and had the Nuggets receive six votes for the worst offseason. This put them No. 1, ahead of the Chicago Bulls who received five votes. The KCP move is what’s created the most negative impression, but that departure has reinforced an emblematic problem the franchise had with retaining the core of their 2023 title team.
KCP and Jackson were both veterans of that squad and will be dearly missed, similar to the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green last season. Without an asset return for the players due to the players making free agency decisions, the Nuggets have had to pray their young stars such as Christian Braun and Julian Strawther are capable of being impactful rotation players.
The four former champions who have left in the last two offseasons have brought the Nuggets a negative trade asset balance, as three left for nothing, and the team had to trade three second-round picks to dump Jackson’s contract. While that opens up the money to possibly sign Russell Westbrook, an upgrade over Jackson, it doesn’t change the fact the Nuggets have had a tough summer.
Are The Nuggets Still Top Contenders In The West?
The Nuggets we saw last season were not as impervious as their 2023 counterparts, who also dominated in a generally weaker conference which was heavily strengthened last summer. As the West became more competitive, the Nuggets failed to keep the No. 1 seed in the Conference and were embarrassingly eliminated in the second round to a Wolves team they had a 3-2 series lead over.
The Nuggets in the form they existed last season failed to even be a Conference Finals team, let alone a title team. Everyone is hoping that Nikola Jokic can lead the franchise to more success, with the rotational players doing their job. Jokic won his third league MVP in four seasons last year, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists.
The Nuggets already have three major threats in the West they need to deal with. The first comes from last year’s No. 1 seed OKC Thunder, who have greatly improved over the summer. The reigning West Champions Dallas Mavericks have also added firepower and defensive versatility to their roster, while the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team who eliminated them, is expected to get better.
The strength of players like Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. will keep fans excited to see what the Nuggets can achieve with coach Michael Malone, but it seems far-fetched to say their current roster matches up with the three top contenders in the West.
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