The Denver Nuggets’ list of missteps since the 2023 championship adds one more pelt to the wall. The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade deal involving five teams. Denver received the Cavs’ 2031 first-round pick (unprotected) and the Sacramento Kings’ 2032 second-round pick.
The Nuggets’ list of missteps goes beyond the court. In addition to not making it past the second round since 2023, they have been unable to retain key pieces. The first one began with letting Bruce Brown go after their championship victory.
At that point in his career, Brown was 26 years old and averaged a strong 11.5 points per game off the bench. He was a key contributor during the championship run and had some big games in the Finals. The loss of Brown weakened the bench and put more stress on the starters.
In the following season, Denver ranked just 25th in bench scoring. That ended up costing them against the Minnesota Timberwolves in round two, especially in Game Seven. The bench unit scored just five points in the do-or-die game, leaving the starters worn out.
It was a key reason the Wolves made the largest comeback in Game Seven history: 20 points. The next big loss came directly after that series. Denver lost Kenatvious Caldwell-Pope in the 2024 offseason.
With Caldwell-Pope, Denver was a solid defensive team. Their defense was a key reason for their NBA Finals victory as they held the Miami Heat to just 96.4 points per game. The defense took an even bigger step in the title defense year as the defensive rating jumped to eighth in the league.
The perimeter defense from KCP was key for a team that had defensive weak points such as Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. Once he departed, the impact was felt instantly. Denver’s defensive rating went from eighth to 21st in the 2024-2025 season.
That season became a disaster as Michael Malone got fired and the team got blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of round two, 125-93. When the team needed to string together some stops, they couldn’t.
A few years later, Watson is gone. For a team that lacked athleticism and defense in the 2025-2026 season, retaining a player that epitomized both felt necessary. It should be noted that had Denver matched a deal to Watson’s liking, they would have dealt with second apron penalties. They essentially would have a hard time building the roster in future years due to future picks being frozen and would have picked last in every draft if they stayed in the second apron.
The issue isn’t how the Nuggets handed Watson this offseason. The main issue is that the team put themselves into a position where they had to get rid of him because of one fatal mistake: The Christian Braun Contract.
This is arguably the worst of the Nuggets’ list of missteps. Right before the 2025 season, Braun signed a five-year, $125 million contract. The deal so far has looked bleak because it’s a key reason why Denver didn’t have enough money to match Watson’s needs.
The season Braun had since signing the deal was his worst. He averaged just 12 points on 30% shooting. For a player that makes 25 million a year, those numbers have to get better.
It’s been a tough couple of offseasons for this proud franchise.
The Nuggets’ list of missteps since the championship year has been backbreaking. Every departure had an immediate effect on the ensuing season.
When Brown left, the bench struggles led to the loss to the Wolves. When KCP left, Denver gave up 125 points in a do-or-die game in OKC.
Losing what Watson brought to the table is even worse. He took a big leap this last year as he averaged 14.6 ppg on 41.1% from three, both career highs. The defense has always been his calling card since entering the league.
What will the 2026-2027 ending expose in Denver?
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