The Denver Nuggets are in a win-now situation, with the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic, aiming to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since their 2023 championship run. Pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the Western Conference semifinals with a beat-up roster shows that the All-Pro center needs a bit more help to get over the hump.
The team decided to part ways with Head Coach Michael Malone and General Manager Calvin Booth, who had reportedly been at odds for months. Their disconnect may have ultimately cost the franchise another shot at the NBA Finals. Since the start of NBA Free Agency, Denver has been trying to recapture the magic that made them special two years ago.
They re-signed guard Bruce Brown, a key piece of that title run, to a one-year minimum deal after he turned down a two-year, $45 million offer from the Indiana Pacers. Brown is a seamless fit who doesn’t need any help integrating back into the system.
Denver also traded sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. and their 2032 first-round pick to Brooklyn for forward Cam Johnson, a shooter in his own right who is more aggressive off the dribble and provides greater defensive effort.
They rounded out the first 48 hours of free agency by addressing their non-Jokic minutes, sending forward Dario Saric to Sacramento in exchange for big man Jonas Valanciunas, one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounders. He’ll provide much-needed stability and can play an impactful role when Jokic is on the bench.
The Nuggets also signed three-point specialist Tim Hardaway Jr. to a one-year minimum deal—an ideal fit for a team that thrives on floor spacing and ball movement. In their series against the Thunder, Denver shot just 31.5% from three, and Hardaway is expected to help boost their perimeter scoring this season.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon praised Denver’s offseason on *Get Up* this morning: “The Nuggets needed depth—we all hammered on it. You gotta get deeper,” MacMahon said.
“Valanciunas is by far the best backup they’ve had for Joker… Tim Hardaway Jr. just had a really good year in Detroit. Bruce Brown was a huge piece to their championship puzzle. Now, Denver Bruce Brown is a different beast than Bruce Brown anywhere else.”
All valid reasons for Nuggets fans to feel optimistic after the first two days of free agency. Barely over the luxury tax and holding a $16.8 million trade exception, the Nuggets appear to be moving in the right direction.
Check out the conversation from “Get-Up” on the Nuggets from this morning below:
“I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say they’ve regressed, but I’m also not sure they have progressed.”@TimBontemps and @espn_macmahon disagree on how the Nuggets’ offseason has gone thus far 😅 pic.twitter.com/aRTkRJttFD
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 2, 2025
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