Nuggets Ownership Makes One Good Promise, but Another Bad Suggestion

The 2026 offseason could get hectic across the NBA, especially with many star-studded teams flaming out of the playoffs sooner than expected. The Denver Nuggets are certainly in that group, and falling well short of expectations could lead to big changes being made.

Nuggets executives held an end-of-season press conference on Friday, and Josh Kroenke had some interesting things to say as they prepare for a potentially eventful offseason. Most notably, they are keeping three-time MVP Nikola Jokic out of trade talks, but keeping all other options open. In one short spurt, Kroenke made a promise that Nuggets fans needed to hear, but he also suggested a ridiculous idea.

The good promise

While the Nuggets could be in for a busy offseason, it will not include any possibility of moving on from Jokic. Kroenke confirmed that the Nuggets will be keeping everything on the table this offseason, except for Jokic.

"I think that everything is gonna be on the table, outside of trading Nikola [Jokic]," Kroenke said. "I should be clear because my words got twisted in an interesting way last summer. But yeah, I think everything is on the table, outside of trading Nikola."

With Jokic up for a contract extension this summer, which could be worth up to around $280 million over four years, his future hangs in the balance. Of course, it would be silly for Jokic to pass up on that type of money in any situation, and he has continued to assure that he wants to be a Nugget forever.

Fortunately, while the Nuggets might make drastic roster changes this offseason, they are keeping Jokic off the table. Trading away the best player in franchise history would be an obvious mistake, and regardless of the other moves they might make, the key to success is building around the Serbian superstar.

The bad suggestion

While Kroenke assures that the Nuggets are keeping their options open, outside of trading Jokic, he actually means all options. Kroenke admitted that they even have to contemplate running it back, which would be a huge mistake.

"I think we need to have running it back as a possibility," Kroenke said. "... I thought that if this group was healthy, that this could be a 60-65 win team to a certain level, but we never got a chance to fully show it. That's why I say everything has to be on the table, including running it back, because I really do believe in the group."

In their first-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, this Nuggets roster was exposed. All of their flaws were on full display, and it was made clear why this roster was not built for a championship. More ball handling, better defenders, and more of an interior presence are all things the Nuggets need to address this offseason. What is the positive of running it back?

READ: Perfect Offseason Blueprint for the Nuggets' Roster

Granted, the Nuggets have their entire starting lineup under contract for next season, with just their key bench pieces of Peyton Watson, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr. hitting free agency, so they are in a position to run it back if necessary. To make this scenario even more plausible, they are tied up financially, making it much more difficult to break up their core.

Still, whether it is trading Cam Johnson, Christian Braun, Jamal Murray, or Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets should be looking to make a splash to get back over the hump. For a team that was obviously impacted by injuries, the front office might feel like they are able to just run it back and hope for better injury luck, but they certainly have work to do with this roster.

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