Nuggets’ Offseason Moves Face Trial Run with NBA Cup Schedule Revealed

The Blazers are the closest thing to that. However, even a young and ascending Portland team will offer a competitive outing to anyone who takes them too lightly.

One thing is abundantly clear for the Nuggets as they prepare to enter the 2025-26 season with their new and revamped supporting cast. They will certainly face a strong challenge and be put under a microscope in the competition.

Pre-Playoff Test Will Come in NBA Cup

The shift with regard to front office personnel during this offseason for the Nuggets has gone a long way for the team. They were quickly capable of putting a strong supporting cast alongside Nikola Jokic.

Michael Porter Jr. was swapped out for Cameron Johnson. They Nuggets got an upgrade and money off the books in the process.

They brought back Bruce Brown. They added Tim Hardaway Jr. They even secured Jokic a backup center in Jonas Valanciunas. After some complications, things are trending in Denver towards the belief that Val will indeed be a member of the team.

The Nuggets pushed the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the edge of defeat in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. They ultimately could not get the job done in Game 7.

The upgrades to the supporting cast should have closed the gap a ton. Facing off against the stiff competition in their NBA Cup group should offer an early sample of how this new-look team performs in a playoff-like environment.