Denver reshapes its roster to maximize Jokic’s prime, shipping Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and adding Valanciunas, Brown, and Hardaway Jr. to deepen the rotation behind the MVP. Gordon signals a renewed defensive emphasis as the team leans on depth to ride out regular-season grind and keep Jokic fresh for postseason battles.

The newfound depth should ease Gordon’s burden and reduce heavy minutes on Jokic, while giving the Nuggets more lineups that can attack in multiple ways. With a healthier, more versatile squad, Denver aims to maintain elite performance from its core and navigate playoff rotations without blunting the star power at the center.

In short, Denver bets that a deeper bench and improved length translate to more sustainable success, fewer late-season drops, and a true title-ready run behind Jokic and a now more complete supporting cast.

Denver enters 2025-26 with Jokic, Murray and Gordon as its core while reshaping the roster around shooting and depth. Cameron Johnson slots in on the wing, Porter Jr. exits the wing rotation, and veterans Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas deepen the rotation. Christian Braun projects into a pivotal, no-excuses year as the team aims for another deep playoff run with a more balanced lineup and improved defense.

Pippen argues basketball was a bruising, hand-check era in the 80s and 90s, and Jokic operates in a different, spread-out, positionless game. Jokic’s vision shines as Denver’s offense centers on him alongside Murray, Gordon and Braun, a modern attack built for pace and spacing. Offseason moves—Porter Jr. to Nets for Cameron Johnson; Saric traded for Valanciunas; Brown and Hardaway Jr. re-signed—expand shooting and depth behind Jokic, signaling continued fantasy upside amid roster tweaks.