Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Gordon, Watson, Adelman, More

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is the only untouchable player on the Nuggets‘ roster entering the offseason, according to team president Josh Kroenke (story via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette).

As Benedetto observes, with Jokic off the table, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon will be monitored closely as potential trade candidates. Kroenke discussed Gordon’s status in particular during Friday’s end-of-season press conference.

“I love Aaron Gordon. I know that I think the world of him, just like the entire Nuggets nation does, but there are some things that we’re going to have to look at,” Kroenke said. “This team looks a lot different when Aaron Gordon is healthy. I think everybody can acknowledge that. We need a healthy Aaron Gordon, so we need to figure out how to make the most of him and get the most out of his body for the benefit of the team, that’s for sure.”

The Nuggets theoretically could bring back most of the same roster that won 54 games but was eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in 2025/26. That would almost certainly push the team over the second tax apron, Benedetto notes, but Kroenke said multiple times that it was an option that would be explored.

“Everything is on the table. … if we deem running it back the most competitive thing that we can do for the roster, that’s probably what we’re going to be doing,” Kroenke said. “The smartest teams can figure out how to stay competitive while having to make some of those cutthroat moves at different points in time.”

Here’s more from Friday’s press conference, which also featured top front office members Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace as well as head coach David Adelman:

• The reason Denver could be deep into the tax if the team decides to run it back is because restricted free agent Peyton Watson is expected to command a significant payday this summer. Tenzer and Wallace stopped short of saying the Nuggets would match any offer sheet for Watson, tweets Benedetto, though they said they “hope” the 23-year-old stays in Denver long term.
• Kroenke said he has “full faith” in Adelman and credited the Nuggets’ coaching staff and front office for helping the team have a good deal of regular season success amid multiple injuries to key players in ’25/26, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “While we’re very proud that we won 54 games, I’m most proud of that stretch (in January), the way that the coaching staff was without Nikola,” Kroenke said. “I think when Nikola is on your roster, you should be winning 50 games probably. So that’s a great accomplishment in most NBA circles, but for us, I think that’s where we expect to be. And we expect to be even higher. I thought that if this group was healthy, that this could be a 60-, 65-win team.”
• For his part, Adelman said the Nuggets could use more ball-handling and athleticism after those two facets of the game were exposed as weaknesses the past two playoff runs, per Benedetto (Twitter link).