The Nuggets don’t have all the answers yet.
Their front office is entering the 2026 offseason with many questions and little clarity. The next two months should provide that. In the meantime, one can only read the tea leaves from a 45-minute news conference Friday at Ball Arena.
Team president Josh Kroenke, executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer, executive vice president of player personnel Jon Wallace and head coach David Adelman spoke to reporters, putting a bow on the 2025-26 campaign and looking ahead. Here were some of the topics they touched on, and the meaning behind their words.
Feeling the pressure
What they said: “We’ve talked about the teams who we’ve lost to (in the playoffs) in the last three years, and I do think that what stood out was ball-handling. Handling pressure. … That really hurt us. And I thought, you know, athleticism is part of the league. The league is younger. The league changes fast. Watching OKC last night, San Antonio, the way they play.
“… We have to rely on more people to bring the ball up the floor. And we have guys on our team that have gotten better at it over the years, but if somebody’s out, other people have to step up. And then on top of that, I have to put them in a situation that’s comfortable for them. … The expectation can’t just be, Aaron’s gonna play 82. It can’t be that Nikola’s gonna play 82, or Jamal. So everybody that’s with our team has to understand that there’s a chance that’s the role I’m gonna step into. … It’s team-reliant. That’s the new NBA. You’re watching all these series. There’s so many people bringing the ball up the floor.” — Adelman
What they mean: This should serve as a decent guide for what the Nuggets hope to add this offseason as they make changes to their roster. When opponents have made a point to pick up full-court against Jamal Murray, Denver has often relied on Aaron Gordon as the release valve to initiate offense. What about when Gordon is unavailable, which happens a lot? The Nuggets tend to find themselves facing a shortage of dependable ball-handlers. They asked Christian Braun to bring it up a bit throughout this season, but he’s made his money as more of an off-ball movement guard. Nikola Jokic can bring it up — after all, he’s a revolutionary point center — but Denver doesn’t necessarily want him to have to use energy doing that consistently, especially if the defense pressures him.
Adelman wants role players like Braun to develop more ball-handling skills in the offseason, but he is also clearly on the lookout for newcomers who can alleviate the ball-in-hand burden on Jokic and Murray. Hence, the March acquisition of point guard Tyus Jones, who suddenly became a key player in Denver’s two elimination games against Minnesota. The Wolves and Thunder are among the top contending teams with ruthless point-of-attack defenders who can wear out a team’s playmakers over the course of a playoff series. Could Jones return next season on a veteran minimum? Might the Nuggets prioritize more backcourt depth with their roster spots? If they trade a starter, could they try to bring back a point guard who can handle and defend? Adelman often likes to start possessions with Murray off the ball, using screens to get him a touch in advantageous spots. Maybe Denver could even rethink the starting lineup and play Murray at the two. Whatever the case, initiation by committee is an area to look for improvement.
Peyton Watson’s free agency market
What they said: “Peyton had a great year. He obviously grew a lot. I said it at the beginning of the season: We hope Peyton is a Nugget for a very long time. He’s been great for us.” — Tenzer
“We tasked Peyton in the preseason with growing. We went to visit him (at home in Los Angeles). We walked him through kind of what the expectations were, without the actual expectation of (him) getting the minutes that he got in that stretch of January. So you have to congratulate him, and kudos to him for staying the course. What he showed us is what we knew he could do. So he did his part. … You’ve gotta continue to hit on these home-grown talents, and he’s been the focal point of that.” — Wallace
What they mean: This was about as direct a statement of intent as the Nuggets could offer publicly. They have the right to match any offer sheet Watson receives as a restricted free agent this summer, so they should be in a position to keep him as long as they’re willing to pay up. After all, when he’s at his best, he represents all of the skillsets Adelman circled. He showed for a small portion of this season that he can handle the ball and create his own shot. He can be impactful at both ends of the floor, not just one. He’s young and athletic — one of the most gifted shot-blocking wings in the league. He’s proven himself to be an effective spot-up shooter when he’s off the ball.
The average annual value will be the intriguing variable with Watson. He’s widely projected to demand at least $20 million per year on his next contract, but what if the number creeps up to the $30 million range? The Lakers, Bulls and Nets should have money to spend.
Who’s in charge of offseason decisions?
What they said: “Those conversations come about organically. Then we start to realize this might be something that we want to do. Let’s meet as a group. Let’s put our heads together from all of our different perspectives. And that’s how we arrive at the best decisions, we feel, for the team. So that’s kind of what we’re going to be doing again this summer. … I’m the president of the team. I’ve been in the same role since 2010. And whether that was Masai Ujiri, whether that was Tim Connelly, whether that was Calvin Booth, whether that’s these guys, I’m always gonna be there, around, listening and trying to help shape the direction of the franchise. … (Interrupting next question) “I know who voted for me (for NBA Executive of the Year), by the way, and it was a joke. It was an inside joke with a mutual friend. I rolled my eyes and said, ‘You’re gonna create hell for me.’ But he thought it was really funny.” — Kroenke
What they mean: This question came about because Kroenke appeared on two ballots for the NBA Executive of the Year award, to the surprise of many Nuggets fans. It warranted a natural question for the sake of transparency: Is Kroenke the real general manager here? He firmly rejected that notion. Tenzer and Wallace both report to him, but they’re the executives who are actually “in the field,” so to speak, doing the day-to-day work of a general manager. A Nuggets spokesperson later clarified that Kroenke was only on the ballot because teams aren’t allowed to list two executives as candidates for the award. If there was only enough room for one person per team, then Denver didn’t want to choose between Tenzer and Wallace, who are equals. As for the jokester: The Denver Post cannot report this as an absolute fact, but there’s a certain president of basketball operations in Minnesota who might’ve been giggling at that question.
Braun backlash
What they said: “I saw CB’s comments, his frustration with himself and the fact that we lost. I love that. And it’s hard to say in public nowadays because you’re gonna get ripped regardless. CB’s a leader. I believe that. … If you really want to look at it, you could say, ‘Well, their leadership didn’t show up in the playoffs’ — then tell me how we got through this season. How did that group stay together? How many different lineups (and) guys had to step up, use their voice? So collectively, I thought the guys were great this year. But throughout the summer, you’re gonna have conversations with guys and try to instill more confidence in them. Feel the need to speak. … I just wanted to make sure I brought that up. I love what CB said. That’s what a human being should say: ‘I’m frustrated. I want to be better. I want the team to be better. And I want to win.’ That’s what I want to hear.” –– Adelman
What they mean: There’s no guarantee that Braun will be on Denver’s roster when the 2026-27 season tips off, but consider this unprompted tangent by Adelman a vote of confidence in what Braun brings to the locker room. The young guard has been roundly scrutinized this week for his assertion to The Denver Post that he’s “the vocal leader of this team,” but he can often be seen breaking the huddle and communicating with his teammates. Adelman saw Braun’s comments for what they were: not a delusional act of self-aggrandizement, but a gesture of accountability after a disappointing performance. Braun often volunteers to take the blame when the Nuggets play poorly; it has become part of his role as their lead defensive guard over the last two years. It is revealing that Adelman recognized there’s room for team-wide improvement in the leadership department — perhaps Braun shouldn’t have to assume that much responsibility at this point in his career.
