The Nuggets have added a director of athletic training to their staff ahead of the 2026-27 season, team executives Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer announced Monday.
Nick Seme has already started in the role, a team source told The Denver Post. He has a background with the franchise, having previously worked for Denver’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. In 2025, he left for a job with the Charlotte Hornets as a physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer.
He’ll continue to specialize in physical therapy in the newly added position with the Nuggets, overseeing Dan Shimensky, Jason Miller and the rest of Denver’s training staff. He’ll report to vice president of sports medicine Steve Short.
Health has been a recurring issue for Denver’s core players in recent years. In particular, Aaron Gordon was limited by soft tissue injuries during the 2025 and 2026 NBA playoffs. Four of Denver’s five starters missed at least a month’s worth of games last season with various injuries. Tenzer said that team officials have been working on strategies to avoid another injury-plagued year — to the extent that they can control a somewhat luck-based variable.
“With the rigors of the NBA season and how intense it is with how many back-to-backs there are,” Tenzer said, “a big focus (this offseason) was playing pickup earlier in the summer than we’ve done in the past or than guys are used to. So there’s no magic answer to it, but we talk a lot about collaboration with our medical staff, our coaches, the players and just doing the best we can with it.”
Training camp begins Tuesday for the Nuggets, who have a healthy roster five days before their first preseason game.
“Injuries are a part of the game, but we feel confident these guys can weather the storm,” Wallace said. “I think one of the biggest things is you look over the past couple of years, these guys have played deep into the playoffs. And not only deep, but they’ve played tough series going deep into the playoffs. So I think just the ability to rest with a true offseason (after a first-round exit) for a group of guys that have been together for a while is key. I think those guys have taken the necessary steps in terms of their preparation.”
