The Denver Nuggets were NBA Champions in 2023, with Nikola Jokic being the focal piece of the team. They had a strong core around him, with veterans like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon, in addition to key bench contributors like Christian Braun and Bruce Brown. However, as the team got more expensive, the Nuggets lost talent without replacing it and fell back in the West. That became more evident during the 2025 NBA playoffs, with Michael Porter Jr. and Russell Westbrook’s struggles during the Conference Semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite pushing the Thunder to seven games, they weren’t able to get the job done, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company going on to