Five disastrous Nuggets moves that could cost them Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets made a series of aggressive moves last summer to reshape the direction of their team. They nearly all fell flat, leaving the team firmly outside the group of title contenders.

Here are five decisions the Nuggets made last summer that are still haunting them and might lead to three-time Nikola Jokic leaving in free agency next summer.

1. Trading Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson

Swapping Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson was supposed to give the Nuggets a cheaper option at small forward, at $44.1M for two years instead of Porter's $79.1M. Johnson turned out to be a huge downgrade, averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds compared to Porter's 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and three assists for the Nets. Plus, Johnson missed 28 games. 

It also cost the Nuggets their unprotected first-round pick in 2032, which was their last tradable first. Denver didn't do much with the savings, besides getting under the luxury tax. That might have saved them money, but it didn't do much for chasing a title in Jokic's prime.

2. Signing Christian Braun to a massive rookie extension

What was baffling about the Nuggets signing Christian Braun to a five-year rookie extension for $125M was how unnecessary it was. Not only was it a huge amount to pay for a perfectly fine player with zero superstar potential, but they had no urgency to make the deal.

Braun would still have only been a restricted free agent this summer, and it's hard to imagine he'd be swarmed with suitors after he averaged 12 points in 44 games and shot 30.1 percent on three-pointers. Should his performance have demanded big money, the Nuggets could have simply traded him. Now he's locked in at a wildly inflated salary number for five more seasons.

3. Giving David Adelman the permanent head coach job

David Adelman took over the Nuggets with three games to go in the 2024-25 season and went 7-7 in the playoffs, beating the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Last season, got badly outcoached in a first-round upset loss to a Minnesota Timberwolves team ravaged by injuries. The Nuggets looked unprepared and unmotivated, getting lit up by ordinary scorers like Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon. 

Denver could have looked for a more accomplished coach, but they took a chance on the inexperienced and inexpensive Adelman. Now they've had to hire Dave Joerger to babysit their young coach.

4. Signing Spencer Jones to a two-way contract

Bringing back Spencer Jones after his promising rookie season was smart. Giving him another two-way deal instead of a cheap long-term deal was not.

Jones greatly outplayed his contract, starting 37 games and shooting 39.6 percent on threes. Then, when he became a restricted free agent, the Nuggets had to match a two-year, $12M offer sheet from the Thunder to keep Jones, when they could have had him for far cheaper months earlier.

5. Hiring two general managers

When the Nuggets hired former general manager Calvin Booth, they replaced him with two decision-makers. Ben Tenzer runs basketball operations while Jon Wallace is in charge of player personnel, and both report to owner Josh Kroenke. There's a reason teams usually stick with one GM.

The Nuggets lack decisiveness because decisions are made by multiple people. This summer, they've taken a step back, and it's not clear who's to blame. It also may be a reason Jokic has declined to sign an extension two summers in a row — and may be looking for a new home.