Denver Nuggets News

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has no interest in signing a contract extension this offseason. The three-time MVP is eligible to sign a three-year, $200 million extension until Oct. 20, but he reportedly plans to delay contract negotiations until next summer. In 12 months, Jokic could earn an extra $77 million on his contract. Currently, Jokic is two years into a five-year, $276 million deal. Since Jokic still has several seasons left on his current contract, he isn't leaving anytime soon, and the Nuggets have no reason to panic. It's simply a financial decision for Jokic to wait until next summer before starting extension talks.

Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas was recently acquired by the team, but might not play a single game with the organization. Earlier this week, Valanciunas was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Nuggets in exchange for Dario Saric. It seemed like the Nuggets finally solved their backup center problem by acquiring the veteran center. According to Basketnews, Valanciunas is considering leaving the NBA and playing in Europe next season. It sounds like Valanciunas has an offer on the table, so he'll need to make up his mind over the summer. Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 16.9 minutes per game in 32 games with the Kings last season. The 33-year-old is certainly a solid backup center to Nikola Jokic, but the Nuggets might be forced back to the drawing board if Valanciunas decides to go to Europe.

The Denver Nuggets acquired frontcourt depth in the early days of free agency, trading forward Dario Saric to Sacramento for center Jonas Valanciunas. The 33-year-old played in 81 games last year for Washington and Sacramento, averaging 10.4 points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game. The former top-five pick has been a productive post scorer throughout his career, and should allow Denver to rest Nikola Jokic without the offense falling apart. The acquisition of Valanciunas is the latest move of Denver's offseason. They also traded Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and brought back fan-favorite forward Bruce Brown Jr.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Denver Nuggets are trading forward Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cameron Johnson. Both players are in line to become unrestricted free agents in a few seasons. After years of trade rumors, it appears Denver is ready to move on from Porter, who hasn't played for any other club since entering the National Basketball Association in 2018. Injuries were an issue for the 27-year-old at the beginning of his career. Fortunately, he managed to suit up in 158 contests in the last two seasons. Porter is also coming off one of his best years, averaging 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 39.5% from deep during the 2024 campaign. All things considered, the Nets are in rebuilding mode, although Porter could realistically be more productive than he was in Denver, considering he's no longer sharing the floor with Nikola Jokic.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has two years left on his contract, with a player option for a third year, but the team plans to offer him an extension. Team president Josh Kroenke said the Nuggets are "definitely" going to offer him an extension this offseason, though he's unsure if Jokic will accept. Jokic would be eligible to sign for more money next summer. The Serbian star just finished an incredible year, averaging a triple-double with 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists. Additionally, Jokic posted a career-high 1.8 steals per game. He has only recently turned 30 and is expected to dominate for years to come, both in real life and in fantasy basketball.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, guard Russell Westbrook will decline his $3.47 million player option with the Denver Nuggets, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 36-year-old averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 32.3% shooting from behind the arc with Denver last season, an increase from the marks he had with the Clippers during the 2023-24 campaign. There's a chance Westbrook will remain with the Nuggets. He'll likely also entertain offers from other clubs around the National Basketball Association. Where he ultimately signs will determine how things will look from a fantasy standpoint. However, it's safe to assume his MVP and All-Star days are likely well behind him, regardless of what team he suits up for come October.

Bennett Durado of The Denver Post believes Nuggets guard Christian Braun is expected to be offered a new deal ahead of the 2026-27 season, possibly as early as this fall. The 24-year-old is nearing the end of his rookie agreement. However, he's easily coming off the best season of his career, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 39.7% shooting from downtown, meaning retaining him is certainly in the team's best interest. The Nuggets will likely try to avoid entering the second round, so who will remain on the roster in the coming years is unknown. Yet, the anticipated movement of certain players moving forward means Braun has an excellent chance to see more scoring opportunities, making him an ideal dynasty stash for fantasy managers.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, the Nuggets may keep forward Michael Porter Jr. on the roster, at least for one more season. While Durando didn't rule out the possibility of MPJ getting moved this offseason, vice chairman Josh Kroenke has expressed a desire to keep the team's core together. With that said, the Nuggets' payroll continues to increase, and it is expected to rise even more if forward Christian Braun agrees to a contract extension in the coming months. Yet, finding a suitor for Porter may not be realistic. Although that should change after this season, when he'll have one year left on his current contract. The 26-year-old will certainly draw interest from teams around the National Basketball Association. While he had issues staying healthy at the start of his career, he's appeared in 158 games in the last two seasons. Porter is also coming off one of the best years of his career, ending the 2024-25 campaign by averaging 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 39.5% shooting from behind the arc. Assuming he can stay on the floor and off the injury report, he should remain as productive, regardless of what uniform he is wearing in 2025-26 and beyond.

Denver Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook has undergone surgery on his right hand. The team announced that the procedure was necessary to repair multiple ligament tears in his hand. In the announcement, the Nuggets mentioned that Westbrook is expected to resume full offseason training in the summer. This indicates that he will be at 100 percent for the start of next season. The former MVP has a $3.47 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign. While coming off the bench for most of the season, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in his first year with the Nuggets. He isn't the player he once was, but he can still make an impact in fantasy basketball.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring) managed to suit up for Sunday's playoff loss to OKC. Unfortunately, he finished with only eight points, adding 11 rebounds while turning the ball over four times. Had the hamstring strain occurred during the regular season, Gordon likely wouldn't have been out there. However, he gave it his all, although it wasn't enough to stop the Thunder from earning a 32-point win. The 29-year-old finished the regular season by averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He also shot a career-high 43.6% from deep and was also instrumental in the Nuggets' success throughout the postseason. Still, injuries were an issue for Gordon. But if he stays healthy during the 2025-26 campaign, he should stay relevant for fantasy managers.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray finished with 13 points in Sunday's loss to the Thunder. He added three steals and two assists. This was arguably Murray's worst showing of the series with OKC, especially on the scoring end. He shot a rough 6-for-16 from the field and made only one of his eight attempts from downtown. The 28-year-old averaged 21.4 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.9 boards during the regular season. While his three-point percentage dropped, he at least appeared in 67 games, eight more than the 2023-24 campaign. With that said, Murray has All-Star potential. However, his health is always a concern for fantasy managers, and he's also been known to go cold at times throughout his career.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in Sunday's postseason loss to OKC. The Thunder defense made defending Jokic a priority in Game 7. As a result, OKC managed to earn a decisive 32-point victory to earn a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Without question, it was a chaotic year in Denver, with the team firing head coach Michael Malone in April and replacing him with David Adelman. Still, Jokic had the best campaign of his career, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.7 assists in 70 appearances. The Nuggets have some work to do to bolster the roster. However, no matter how the depth chart looks, Jokic should remain the top fantasy option heading into the 2025-26 season.

Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. The 24-year-old continues to nurse an ankle injury, which has limited him to just one appearance in the series. Overall, he has participated in four games this postseason, averaging 5.3 minutes on the floor. Therefore, even if Tyson is cleared to play on Sunday, it is doubtful that he will have a significant role in the contest.

Denver Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook (hand) carries a probable tag on the injury report for Sunday's Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former MVP is dealing with a right-hand sprain, but it looks like the injury will not keep him off the floor on Sunday. Westbrook has averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 23.0 minutes against the Thunder in the series. Denver may consider giving him a more important role on Sunday if Aaron Gordon (hamstring) has to drop out of the lineup.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (illness) is considered probable for Sunday's intriguing Game 7 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Murray played through an illness on Thursday, helping the team extend the series with a 119-107 win, and it appears he won't have any issues suiting up for Sunday's contest. Despite his illness, Murray filled up the box score on Thursday night with 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and one block. Although his shooting has been inconsistent, Murray has recorded 25 or more points in three of six games in the series and is certainly poised to have a large role again on Sunday.

Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring) has been officially listed as questionable for Sunday's Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman labeled Gordon a game-time decision for the matchup after he was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain ahead of Sunday's winner-takes-all clash. If the Nuggets cannot count on him on Sunday, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther may have larger roles in the rotation. The two youngsters have made little impact in the postseason, but Strawther will carry some momentum into the game, having notched 15 points in 20 minutes during Thursday's Game 6 win.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray had his second-highest scoring game of the postseason with 28 points in Tuesday's 112-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Canadian star flirted with a 30-point game, although Murray struggled to score efficiently. He went 10-for-27 from the field, including 3-for-13 from outside. In 42 minutes of action, Murray added four rebounds, three assists, and one block to his tally. While Murray has averaged 21.4 points per game against the Thunder, he has shot below 40 percent from the field in three of the five games and 39.5 percent overall in the matchup. A more efficient performance is needed from him for the Nuggets to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was back to his best in Tuesday's 112-105 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading all scorers with 44 points while tallying 15 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. After shooting 33.3 percent from the field over the last three games, Jokic went 17-for-25 from the field (68 percent) and was on fire from downtown with a 5-for-7 effort. However, the Nuggets failed to capitalize on their leader's incredible performance, blowing a lead in the fourth quarter to fall 3-2 behind in the series. With the Nuggets now in survival mode, Jokic will be expected to put together another monster line in Game 6 on Thursday night.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic had a rare off night in Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, tallying 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block before fouling out in the third quarter of an embarrassing 149-106 loss. The Nuggets struggled right from the off, which was probably one of the reasons for Jokic's lackluster effort, and the team was trailing by over 40 points when he picked up his sixth foul late in the third frame. Jokic finished with 6-for-16 shooting from the field. The three-time MVP will surely come out with a different spirit in Game 3 on Friday as the Nuggets try to reclaim the series lead on their home court.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic looked like a man among boys in Monday's Game 1 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, putting up a game-high 42 points on 15-for-29 shooting and grabbing 22 rebounds. He also had six assists, one steal, and two blocks as the Nuggets shocked OKC with a 121-119 road win. Jokic, who finished 2-for-6 with the three-ball and went 10-for-13 at the charity stripe, became the fourth player in NBA postseason history to register 40-plus points, 20-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists in a game. Given his ability, this may not even turn out to be his only such effort in the series.