The Denver Nuggets enter the new season with only one goal on their mind – the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Nikola Jokic is in his absolute prime, and the fact that he’s already 30 makes it clear there’s no time to waste. Key pieces from the championship roster still include Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun. At the same time, crucial names like Michael Malone, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are long gone.
With Porter Jr.’s departure, Gordon is emerging as the player who could have the season of his career. During the 2023 title run, he was nominally the fourth option in the hierarchy, but after last year’s playoff heroics, he now looks poised to become the second-most important piece of the team.
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“I think that I’m at a point in my career where my body, my mind, and my game are all kind of catching up and evening out in my prime. So I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been in basketball, and I feel like we’re gonna see another championship,” Gordon stressed.
Gordon is vital to Denver’s ambitions for next season
Of course, Murray will always be the most crucial scoring option after the three-time MVP Jokic. Still, when you look at everything Gordon contributed in last year’s playoffs, with clutch shots and relentless defense, and how badly he was missed despite playing in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a serious injury, it’s not hard to conclude he’s vital to the Nuggets’ lofty ambitions for next season.
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As long as Jokic is there, Denver will be a contender—that’s undeniable. Even a depleted squad managed to push the Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7 despite injuries, a coaching change right before the playoffs, and a tight rotation, which shows just how close they are to repeating their 2023 success.
Denver truly looks like they have everything needed to fight for another title
The summer was at least on paper successful, with the return of championship piece Bruce Brown, plus the additions of Cameron Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Tim Hardaway Jr. While all of that matters for Denver’s title hopes, everything will ultimately depend on how the starters play. Gordon is coming off a season where he battled a lingering calf injury, but that didn’t stop him from shooting a career-high 43.6 percent from three in the regular season, a number that should be crucial for Denver, who chronically struggle with outside shooting.
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Tim Legler is among many analysts who see Denver as a legitimate contender heading into the next season.
“We didn’t view Denver as a legitimate contender, and I think that has changed. I think their offseason has made a lot of people believe that they might be, when it’s all said and done, maybe they’re the second team in the West,” the renowned analyst said.
If everyone stays healthy and Jokic continues to play at an MVP level, the Nuggets truly have everything needed to fight for another championship. But the key is Gordon, who is transforming into the team’s top defender and a reliable shooter, and as he said, he has never felt better in his career.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.