So how do the Nuggets plan to build a champion around the best player in basketball? It starts with their new front office. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe all understand the magnitude of what a player like [Joki\u0107] brings to an organization, a community, a city and a fan base,\u201d Denver\u2019s vice president of basketball operations, Ben Tenzer, told NBC News this month. \u201cIn terms of expectations, we welcome the responsibility that comes with that. We\u2019re a very lucky situation to be in our jobs and having a player like Nikola that\u2019s obviously so special.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Tenzer began his NBA career with the Nuggets in 2005, and he has been with the organization since then, aside from a brief stint in law school. He was named head of basketball operations in June after Denver overhauled its front office earlier in the year.<\/p>\n
Tenzer was hired in conjunction with Jon Wallace, who was named vice president of player personnel. Wallace began his executive career with Denver in 2019 before he spent the last three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.<\/p>\n
The two were brought in to provide stability after a roller-coaster finish to last season. <\/p>\n
In April, shortly before the start of the playoffs, the Nuggets fired both general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone, who played key roles in the 2023 title run. <\/p>\n
But it was an open secret around the league that there was friction among the coaching staff and the front office. Between the tension and a slip in its regular season record, Denver made the shocking move to part with people who helped deliver the franchise its only ring.<\/p>\n
The month after a second-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs, in which the team pushed the eventual champions to seven games, the Nuggets hired two people to figure out how to build a sustainable title contender.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s now Tenzer and Wallace who will be tasked with capitalizing on having not only one of the game\u2019s greatest players, but also the remnants of a championship core that includes explosive point guard Jamal Murray and do-it-all forward Aaron Gordon.<\/p>\n
The two heads of the front office were aggressive in the summer. Their first move of the offseason sent a shock wave through the league, as they traded forward Michael Porter Jr. \u2014 a former first-round pick and member of the 2023 title team \u2014 and a 2031 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cam Johnson. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very difficult,\u201d Wallace said of the decision to part with Porter. \u201cMike\u2019s done amazing thing for the organization. We had to make some type of change. Mike wanted to be in a position where he can let his game grow a little more, but at the same time, we needed somebody to fill a role similar to what Mike does but also have some other positives in areas Mike was somewhat deficient in.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Brooklyn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/251014-cam-johnson-brooklyn-nets-ac-810p-0b036d.jpg\")
Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets looks to shoot against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 14.Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images file<\/p>\n
While surprising, the trade for Johnson made sense. He is nearly as good a 3-point shooter as Porter, while offering some more variance offensively, particularly as a passer and a cutter. Johnson is also regarded as a much better defender than Porter, who was frequently targeted by opponents.<\/p>\n
In addition to the trade, Tenzer and Wallace also made three significant free-agent signings, acquiring 3-point marksman Tim Hardaway Jr. and center Jonas Valanciunas and bringing back guard Bruce Brown, who played for the team during the championship season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simplest way to look at it is we felt we needed depth,\u201d Tenzer said about the team\u2019s approach in the offseason. \u201cThat was the thought with the special run we had in the playoffs: If we had a little more depth, it would have gone a long way. We weren\u2019t really trying to reinvent the wheel; we felt like the bones were really strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Depth was certainly an issue in the Nuggets\u2019 loss to the Thunder. <\/p>\n
In that series, Denver outscored Oklahoma City by 34 points in the 142 minutes its starting five shared the floor, despite multiple starters\u2019 dealing with injuries by Game 7.<\/p>\n
In the series\u2019 196 other minutes, when the Nuggets had at least one bench player on the court, the Thunder outscored them by 98. <\/p>\n
Wallace said one of the goals of the summer was to increase depth without sacrificing experience. Brown won a championship with Denver, while Hardaway and Valanciunas have combined to appear in more than 100 playoff games.<\/p>\n