2025–26 Denver Nuggets season
NBA professional basketball team season
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The 2025–26 Denver Nuggets season was the 50th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season marked the first since the 2014–15 season without Michael Malone as head coach, following his dismissal on April 8, 2025.[1] On May 22, the Nuggets hired David Adelman as their full-time head coach.[2] The season also marks the first with Ben Tenzer serving as executive vice president of basketball operations and Jon Wallace as executive vice president of player personnel, jointly succeeding Calvin Booth, who was relieved of his duties as general manager on April 8, 2025.
| 2025–26 Denver Nuggets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | David Adelman |
| President | Josh Kroenke |
| General manager | Ben Tenzer |
| Owners | Ann Walton Kroenke |
| Arena | Ball Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 54–28 (.659) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Northwest) Conference: 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Timberwolves 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Altitude Sports and Entertainment |
| Radio | KKSE |
On Christmas Day, center Nikola Jokić became the first player in league history to have a 55–15–15 game in an overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he suffered a left knee injury only four days later and missed the next four weeks.[3]
On March 27 against the Utah Jazz, Jamal Murray broke the franchise single season three point shots record, surpassing Michael Porter Jr.,[4] shooting a high volume at a high percentage.[5]
On March 31, the Nuggets clinched the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season following a win by the Orlando Magic over the Phoenix Suns. On April 6, they surpassed their win total from the previous season following a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. They closed the regular season with a 54–28 record and 12 straight wins, tying the second-longest regular season winning streak in franchise history. As the third seed, they faced the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, marking their third playoff meeting in the last four seasons. By winning Game 1, they extended their winning streak to 13, securing sole possession of the second-longest streak in franchise history including playoffs.[6] However, their season ended in bitter disappointment as they were upset by the Timberwolves in six games.
Draft
The Nuggets entered the 2025 NBA draft without holding any selections, as they had traded their original first- and second-round picks to the Orlando Magic (as it landed outside its top-5 protection when the Nuggets made the 2025 NBA playoffs) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (eventually landed with the Phoenix Suns), respectively.[7] This made them the only team to begin the draft without a pick. However, by the conclusion of the draft, they were joined by the Houston Rockets, whose pending trades—most notably the trade to acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns—were expected to become official by July 6.[8][9]
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| Northwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z – Oklahoma City Thunder | 64 | 18 | .780 | – | 34–8 | 30–10 | 12–4 | 82 |
| x – Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | 10.0 | 28–13 | 26–15 | 11–5 | 82 |
| x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 49 | 33 | .598 | 15.0 | 26–15 | 23–18 | 9–7 | 82 |
| x – Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 22.0 | 24–17 | 18–23 | 7–9 | 82 |
| Utah Jazz | 22 | 60 | .268 | 42.0 | 14–27 | 8–33 | 1–15 | 82 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Oklahoma City Thunder * | 64 | 18 | .780 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – San Antonio Spurs * | 62 | 20 | .756 | 2.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | 10.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y – Los Angeles Lakers * | 53 | 29 | .646 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Houston Rockets | 52 | 30 | .634 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 49 | 33 | .598 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Phoenix Suns | 45 | 37 | .549 | 19.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 9 | pi – Los Angeles Clippers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi – Golden State Warriors | 37 | 45 | .451 | 27.0 | 82 |
| 11 | New Orleans Pelicans | 26 | 56 | .317 | 38.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Dallas Mavericks | 26 | 56 | .317 | 38.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Memphis Grizzlies | 25 | 57 | .305 | 39.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Sacramento Kings | 22 | 60 | .268 | 42.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Utah Jazz | 22 | 60 | .268 | 42.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2025 preseason game log Total: 3–2 (Home: 1–1; Road: 2–1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 3–2 (home: 1–1; road: 2–1)
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| 2025–26 preseason schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
| 2025–26 game log Total: 54–28 (Home: 28–13; Road: 26–15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–2 (home: 2–0; road: 1–2)
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November: 11–3 (home: 4–3; road: 7–0)
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December: 9–5 (home: 4–2; road: 5–3)
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January: 10–6 (home: 4–4; road: 6–2)
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February: 4–7 (home: 2–2; road: 2–5)
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March: 11–5 (home: 8–2; road: 3–3)
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April: 6–0 (home: 4–0; road: 2–0)
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| 2025–26 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 2026 playoff game log Total: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
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| 2026 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Cup
The Nuggets will compete in Group C of the Western Conference, which includes the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets, the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs.[11]
West Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio Spurs | 4 | 3 | 1 | 483 | 457 | +26 | Advanced to knockout rounds |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets | 4 | 2 | 2 | 484 | 461 | +23 | |
| 3 | Houston Rockets | 4 | 2 | 2 | 463 | 449 | +14 | |
| 4 | Portland Trail Blazers | 4 | 2 | 2 | 454 | 485 | −31 | |
| 5 | Golden State Warriors | 4 | 1 | 3 | 436 | 468 | −32 |
Source: NBA
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Braun | 44 | 44 | 31.8 | .519 | .301 | .782 | 4.8 | 2.7 | .7 | .3 | 12.0 |
| Bruce Brown | 82 | 4 | 24.4 | .475 | .385 | .762 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .2 | 7.9 |
| Aaron Gordon | 36 | 33 | 27.9 | .497 | .389 | .767 | 5.8 | 2.7 | .6 | .3 | 16.2 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 80 | 6 | 26.6 | .447 | .407 | .811 | 2.6 | 1.4 | .5 | .1 | 13.5 |
| DaRon Holmes II | 25 | 6 | 8.4 | .508 | .444 | .786 | 1.4 | .6 | .0 | .2 | 3.7 |
| Cameron Johnson | 54 | 54 | 30.5 | .480 | .430 | .839 | 3.8 | 2.4 | .7 | .4 | 12.2 |
| Nikola Jokić | 65 | 65 | 34.8 | .569 | .380 | .831 | 12.9 | 10.7 | 1.4 | .8 | 27.7 |
| Curtis Jones | 10 | 0 | 8.8 | .407 | .333 | .500 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .4 | .0 | 2.9 |
| Spencer Jones | 64 | 37 | 22.1 | .504 | .396 | .608 | 3.3 | .8 | .8 | .5 | 5.5 |
| Tyus Jones† | 11 | 2 | 8.4 | .346 | .375 | .000 | 1.3 | 1.2 | .1 | .0 | 2.2 |
| Jamal Murray | 75 | 75 | 35.4 | .483 | .435 | .887 | 4.4 | 7.1 | .9 | .4 | 25.4 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 52 | 4 | 12.0 | .470 | .259 | .773 | 2.6 | .6 | .3 | .5 | 3.7 |
| Jalen Pickett | 50 | 18 | 16.1 | .422 | .386 | .789 | 2.3 | 2.3 | .3 | .1 | 5.2 |
| David Roddy | 5 | 0 | 14.6 | .500 | .273 | 1.000 | 4.0 | .8 | .8 | .2 | 8.0 |
| KJ Simpson† | 6 | 0 | 5.7 | .300 | .000 | .500 | 1.3 | 1.3 | .2 | .0 | 1.2 |
| Julian Strawther | 57 | 14 | 15.1 | .467 | .387 | .814 | 2.0 | 1.1 | .4 | .1 | 7.2 |
| Hunter Tyson | 21 | 2 | 7.7 | .269 | .212 | .846 | 1.7 | .8 | .1 | .0 | 2.2 |
| Jonas Valančiūnas | 65 | 6 | 13.4 | .582 | .308 | .772 | 5.1 | 1.2 | .2 | .6 | 8.7 |
| Peyton Watson | 54 | 40 | 29.6 | .491 | .411 | .730 | 4.9 | 2.1 | .9 | 1.1 | 14.6 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Nuggets only.
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Braun | 6 | 6 | 31.2 | .417 | .429 | .737 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | .8 | 8.3 |
| Bruce Brown | 6 | 0 | 19.3 | .441 | .273 | .556 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | .0 | 6.3 |
| Aaron Gordon | 3 | 3 | 29.7 | .400 | .214 | .700 | 5.3 | 2.3 | .0 | .3 | 11.3 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 6 | 0 | 23.3 | .422 | .348 | .792 | 3.3 | .8 | .7 | .3 | 10.8 |
| DaRon Holmes II | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |||
| Cameron Johnson | 6 | 6 | 31.0 | .500 | .314 | .706 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 14.2 |
| Nikola Jokić | 6 | 6 | 39.5 | .446 | .194 | .930 | 13.2 | 9.5 | 1.0 | .8 | 25.8 |
| Spencer Jones | 6 | 3 | 24.2 | .684 | .692 | .800 | 2.0 | .3 | .7 | 1.2 | 6.5 |
| Tyus Jones | 3 | 0 | 10.0 | .500 | .000 | .500 | .0 | 1.7 | .7 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Jamal Murray | 6 | 6 | 39.7 | .357 | .262 | .975 | 5.0 | 5.7 | .8 | .3 | 23.7 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 2 | 0 | 9.5 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .833 | 1.5 | .5 | .5 | .0 | 5.0 |
| Jalen Pickett | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .500 | .0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .5 | ||
| Julian Strawther | 2 | 0 | 9.0 | .286 | .333 | .500 | 1.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Jonas Valančiūnas | 4 | 0 | 6.3 | .714 | .500 | 2.3 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 2.8 |
Transactions
Trades
| Date | Trade | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 8, 2025 | To Brooklyn Nets
|
To Denver Nuggets |
[12] |
| July 13, 2025 | To Sacramento Kings |
To Denver Nuggets |
[13] |
| February 5, 2026 | To Brooklyn Nets
|
To Denver Nuggets
|
[14] |
- The less favorable of the picks originally belonging to Atlanta and LA Clippers.
Free agency
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Signed | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 3, 2025 | Spencer Jones | 1-year extension | [15] |
Additions
| Date | Player | Signed | Former Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2, 2025 | Tamar Bates | Two-way contract | Missouri | [16] |
| July 9, 2025 | Bruce Brown | 1-year, $2.3 million | New Orleans Pelicans | [17] |
| July 10, 2025 | Tim Hardaway Jr. | 1-year, $2.3 million | Detroit Pistons | [18] |
| July 21, 2025 | Curtis Jones | Two-way contract | Iowa State | [19] |
| August 12, 2025 | Kessler Edwards | 1-year | Dallas Mavericks | [20] |
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason | New Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 3, 2025 | Trey Alexander | Free agent | New Orleans Pelicans | [15] |
| July 17, 2025 | Vlatko Čančar | Free agent |  Olimpia Milano |
[21] |
| July 21, 2025 | PJ Hall | Released | Memphis Grizzlies | [22] |
| October 16, 2025 | Russell Westbrook | Free agent | Sacramento Kings | |
| October 24, 2025 | DeAndre Jordan | Free agent | New Orleans Pelicans | [23] |