The Denver Nuggets’ season ended with a whimper as the 2023 NBA Champions were eliminated from the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. They fell to a 110-98 loss to the Wolves in Game 6 and were eliminated 4-2, despite the Timberwolves playing Game 6 without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu.
This is the second time in three years the Nuggets have been eliminated by the Timberwolves, with this year’s loss stinging even more due to the Timberwolves overcoming multiple injury absences to eliminate the Nuggets. Denver had a hobbled Aaron Gordon and an absent Peyton Watson, but that isn’t a justification enough to lose to a Wolves team without their leading scorer and two key role-playing contributors.
Nikola Jokic had another MVP-caliber season, averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists and being named as one of the three finalists for the NBA MVP award. However, he had a disappointing series against the Wolves, highlighting the lack of production around Jokic. Everyone is closely looking at what the Nuggets do this summer, as this is the third year their 2023 championship core has failed to make it to the Conference Finals.
The Nuggets have already heavily invested in this core, having a projected payroll of $260,845,423 next season without including free agents like Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. Nonetheless, the Nuggets should be active in the trade market this offseason. Let’s look at some players the Nuggets could target with blockbuster trade packages this offseason.
Trey Murphy III
Trade Details
Denver Nuggets Receive: Trey Murphy III
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Christian Braun, Zeke Nnaji, 2026 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2031 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2028 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
Trey Murphy III ($27,000,000) had a strong season with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2025-26, averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists over the year. The overall deficiencies in the roster and their losing record can’t be blamed on Murphy, who emerged as one of the standout two-way forwards in the NBA. The Pelicans know they have something really valuable with Murphy on their roster, so they won’t let him go easily. However, the team also has to recognize that his value is really high right now, and waiting longer might cause it to drop in the coming seasons.
The Nuggets would have to part with Christian Braun ($21,551,726), who averaged 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last season and is entering the first year of a five-year, $125 million contract. Braun is still 25 years old and has won championships at the NCAA and the NBA level already. He’s a competent 3-and-D player who the Pelicans could develop into being more productive as part of their plans. He’d be a solid backcourt partner for both Jeremiah Fears and Dejounte Murray, complementing their style of play as an off-ball two guard.
Zeke Nnaji ($7,466,667) averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds over the last season, joining this trade as a salary filler who could be a useful backup big man on the Pelicans. Nnaji had some impressive performances on the Nuggets when they were riddled with injuries, so the Pelicans could find value in acquiring him and developing him as a potential piece for teams with weak frontcourt before the deadline, as Nnaji will be on an expiring contract.
Murphy would fit nicely as a swingman, whether it’s in the backcourt with Murray or as the small forward instead of Cam Johnson. His scoring should be boosted by service from Jokic, while his stable defense will be important for a squad that’s been over-reliant on Aaron Gordon over the last few seasons.
Derrick White
Trade Details
Denver Nuggets Receive: Derrick White
Boston Celtics Receive: Cameron Johnson, Julian Strawther, DaRon Holmes II, 2026 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2031 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2026 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
Derrick White ($30,348,000) has been a crucial part of the modern Boston Celtics, playing a winning role in the team’s backcourt since joining them in 2022. He averaged 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in the regular season and proved his value as one of the most underrated guards in the NBA, but his lack of production is also one of the biggest reasons the Celtics are one loss away from blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers. White has averaged 8.7 points on 30.1% shooting in the 2026 Playoffs and might be held responsible for their blown 3-1 lead if they lose Game 7.
White is 32 years old, so there’s a chance that he’s already played the best basketball of his career. Nonetheless, he’s one of the most valuable combo guards in the NBA with his ability to be effective both on and off-ball. He’d be the perfect fit next to Jamal Murray in the backcourt, also being able to handle the load that comes with being a clear third option.
It might be the perfect time for the Celtics to move on from White with multiple young guards emerging through their rotation, with White’s value potentially falling if he has more performances as bad as what we’ve seen in the first round.
Cam Johnson ($23,062,500) would be the perfect glue forward to round out the Celtics’ starting five, promoting Payton Pritchard to a full-time starting role and moving Brown back into the backcourt after his productive season as a No. 1 option. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in a rough season, but is a veteran forward who would play the style Joe Mazzulla would want. Julian Strawther ($4,826,931) averaged 7.2 points and 2.0 rebounds, and is a decent young swingman that the Celtics, who shoot high-volume threes, would appreciate.
Two first-round picks and two second-round picks represent a great haul for the Celtics. For the Nuggets, the price is justified given White’s status as one of the most productive guards in the NBA according to advanced metrics over the last few seasons.”
Dyson Daniels
Trade Details
Denver Nuggets Receive: Dyson Daniels
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, 2026 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2026 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
Dyson Daniels ($25,000,000) has found a place in the NBA as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. However, his lack of offensive production was exposed in the 2026 NBA Playoffs as the Atlanta Hawks were eliminated in six games by the New York Knicks. The Hawks have enough productive defensive players to move Daniels off their roster for more capable 3-and-D options that can complement players like Nickeil Alexander-Walker offensively.
Braun and Strawther are two really good options for future two-guards on the Hawks if they continue running Alexander-Walker as their point guard and CJ McCollum as their sixth man. Both Braun and Strawther are high-potential youngsters who have already shown they can succeed within specific roles. If the future of the Hawks is to rely on offensive creation from the likes of Jalen Johnson, adding supplemental offensive pieces like Braun and Strawther might work better than having Daniels.
Daniels would be an instant answer for the Nuggets, becoming their best point-of-attack defender by a mile. Daniels and Gordon can form a strong defensive base that could cover up the flaws of the Jokic-Murray duo. It’ll be hard for Daniels to find a position in the corner to space the floor, but his ability to cut to the basket will at least give him some offensive weapon to rely on. This is a move to boost their defense, and this deal would do that in a major way.
Daniels has an enforced no-trade clause until July 1, 2026, due to his contract extension with the Hawks, one day after 2026 free agency officially opens on June 30.
Herb Jones
Trade Details
Denver Nuggets Receive: Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, 2026 First-Round Pick (DEN), 2028 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
If the Nuggets can’t agree on a deal for Murphy, they should make an active effort at pivoting to Herb Jones ($14,898,786). Jones averaged 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals last season, with the Pelicans reportedly rebuffing trade interest from the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Jones’ value has already dipped from a few seasons ago when he was making All-Defense teams and being called one of the best defenders in the NBA. Instead of letting another year eat away at Jones’ value on a losing team, this summer might be the perfect time to cash in.
Jones would fit the mold of what the Nuggets received from Bruce Brown in their 2023 Championship run, but at a higher level. Jones is stronger and more defensively versatile, being able to guard four positions on the court. He’s a streaky shooter, so his offense might let Denver down on some nights, but he’ll always be a high-impact defender on the court. His relatively modest contract could potentially allow the Nuggets to re-sign Peyton Watson without falling into significant cap trouble.
Braun’s utility to the Pelicans might be increased if he joins a team that has Murphy III already on it. Strawther would be a bench scoring option for them, swapping out Jordan Hawkins’ role on the Pelicans, although Hawkins’ shooting ability didn’t help as he fell out of New Orleans’ rotation last season.
