The Nuggets are dangerously close to this nightmare scenario

When the Denver Nuggets won the NBA championship in 2023, the expectation was that they would be competing for championships year in and year out. With three-time MVP Nikola Jokic leading the way, being in the mix is always the standard.

Over the last three seasons though, the Nuggets have underachieved. They suffered back to back second round exits in 2024 and 2025 and lost in the first round in 2026. Two of those playoff exits were to Minnesota, who have been a thorn in Denver’s side for years now.

The Nuggets headed into this offseason with a lot of soul searching to do and a lot of flaws to address, especially if they wanted to keep pace in the West. However, their summer has been a disaster, and it could lead to a potential doomsday scenario next offseason involving their MVP.

Denver is risking losing Nikola Jokic next summer if they underachieve once again

Yes, Jokic did promise the Nuggets that he will sign an extension next offseason, where he is eligible to sign a five-year, $359.5 million contract. If there is one thing about the NBA that is true though is that nothing is guaranteed and life comes at you fast.

Jokic may want to remain a Nugget for life, but he also wants to win and compete for championships. As currently constructed, Denver is not a championship-level roster. 

They just lost Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers for nothing but a couple draft picks. Aaron Gordon is getting older and has well-documented injury troubles. Jamal Murray just had an All-Star season, but struggled mightily in the playoffs, has a huge contract, and has also struggled with his health at times. Christian Braun is making $25 million a year and had injury issues and had a bad season when he was on the court. He can bounce back, but it needs to happen quickly.

The only moves they have made this summer are signing DeMar DeRozan and Marvin Bagley, and drafting Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins. While those moves bolster the depth a bit, none of them are championship-level players at this stage. DeRozan does give them a much-needed third shot creator, but he is a subpar shooter and defender, two things that we see get exposed all the time in the playoffs.

Denver has gone from perennial championship contenders to the outside looking in. They will be a playoff team, but they are far from a guarantee to go far. They do not have enough defense or athletes to keep up with the youth of the West’s top contenders. If they suffer another early exit next year, they will run the risk of losing the greatest player in franchise history.

If they lose Jokic, that will be an all-time disaster. He does want to stay, but he wants to win. It remains to be seen if the Nuggets can do the latter.