SportsEthos 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide

Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2026: Denver Nuggets Team Preview

By Mike Passador Published August 30, 2026 2 min read

How’d We Get Here?

The Nuggets battled through a lengthy Nikola Jokic injury to stay in the mix as a possible title contender last season, thanks in large part to a brilliant season from Jamal Murray. Cam Johnson took a while to adjust to Denver (and got hurt) while Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun also battled significant injury troubles of their own. The Nuggets never got all the way back to full strength and were bounced in the first round by a Minnesota team that was built to stop them specifically. The team’s financial situation is starting to catch up to them as Denver lost proven NBA contributors Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown without the tools to replace them, signing Marvin Bagley III to fill the backup center spot and defensive maestro Alpha Diallo out of the EuroLeague to provide some small semblance of wing depth. It’s a thin group that is extremely top heavy given how reliant the secondary players are on fits around the stars, which means the Nuggets will be leaning heavily on their core players to carry the day.

For a full recap of last season to set the table, check out our Denver Nuggets Season Wrap!

The Denver Nuggets Season Wrap

Offseason Moves

Arrivals: DeMar DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III, Alpha Diallo, Lonnie Walker IV
Rookie Arrivals: Trevon Brazile (No. 35), Bryce Hopkins (No. 49)
Departures: Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, Jalen Pickett, Curtis Jones, David Roddy
Retained: Spencer Jones, Tyus Jones

Depth Chart and Minutes Per Game

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About the Author

SportsEthos Contributor

Mike Passador

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Mike graduated from Boston University's Dual Degree Program with a BA in Economics and a BS in Business with Concentrations in Marketing and Operations Management. He is a faithful supporter of Toronto sports and the Detroit Lions and is always ready to be let down. Tweet to him @Mike_Pandador, but if you badmouth Jose Calderon you might get blocked.

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