The beginning of September marks the final stretch of the NBA offseason, with training camp less than one month away. The offseason is essentially over, and all 30 teams have made their final roster moves heading into the 2026-27 season.
The 2026 offseason was huge for several NBA franchises, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves, to name a few. As the preseason approaches, discussions surrounding which teams are underrated or overrated are beginning to heat up.
An active or inactive offseason can completely change the perception of a contender. Sometimes, a team believes it is better than it actually is and decides that major changes aren’t necessary. The Denver Nuggets have entered that conversation.
Coming off a surprising first-round upset, the Nuggets enter the 2026-27 season as arguably the most overrated contender in the NBA. It’s time to look at Denver’s recent offseason moves and how they could impact the upcoming season.
One offseason ago, the Denver Nuggets were coming off a second-round playoff exit against the eventual 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver took the Thunder to the limit, losing a highly competitive seven-game series. The loss served as a wake-up call for the Nuggets’ front office, which recognized that changes were necessary following the elimination.
Denver broke up part of its championship core by sending forward Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cameron Johnson. The move gave the Nuggets additional financial flexibility while bringing in a player who could help fill the void left by Porter. The Nuggets didn’t stop there.
Denver also signed guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, along with veteran backup center Jonas Valanciunas. At the time, the Nuggets were widely viewed as one of the winners of the 2025 NBA offseason.
Their roster appeared to have significantly more depth surrounding future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic. Meanwhile, Jamal Murray earned his first All-Star selection, adding even more optimism to Denver’s championship hopes. The expectations for the Nuggets to win their second NBA championship couldn’t have been higher.
Entering the 2025-26 season, many people in the media picked the Nuggets to challenge the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.
The basketball world wanted a Thunder-Nuggets playoff rematch.
Unfortunately for Denver, that rematch never happened.
The Nuggets finished the 2025-26 regular season with 54 wins, earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. They also finished with the fifth-best record among all 30 NBA teams.
Needless to say, Denver entered the playoffs as a heavy favorite against the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, the first-round series quickly became much more difficult than expected.
Both Denver and Minnesota dealt with significant injuries throughout the series.The Nuggets were without key reserve forward Peyton Watson for the entire first round. Starting forward Aaron Gordon was also in and out of the lineup after dealing with injuries throughout the regular season and playoffs.
The Timberwolves weren’t completely healthy either. All-Star Anthony Edwards missed half of the first-round series, while key role player Donte DiVincenzo suffered a season-ending torn Achilles injury. Despite dealing with their own injuries, Minnesota’s defense gave Denver problems throughout the series.
The Nuggets struggled to consistently generate offense and had difficulty matching Minnesota’s athleticism. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray also delivered lackluster playoff performances, which ultimately reflected on Denver’s performance as a team. The Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in six games. What appeared to be a championship-caliber roster just months earlier suddenly looked much more vulnerable.
Denver’s disappointing first-round exit led directly into another important offseason. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, their roster appears to have less depth heading into the 2026-27 season than it did a year ago. Denver lost Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas in free agency. The Nuggets also traded Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Following the Watson trade, Denver signed aging former All-Star DeMar DeRozan to a veteran minimum contract. While DeRozan brings experience and scoring ability, the move doesn’t necessarily address the larger problems that became apparent during Denver’s playoff loss. One can make the argument that the Nuggets didn’t get better this offseason. They got worse while becoming more expensive.
The Nuggets are entering the 2026-27 season with the second-highest payroll in the NBA. That’s a major concern when considering the current state of the roster.
Denver has Nikola Jokic, one of the greatest players in NBA history, and Jamal Murray remains an important piece of the team’s championship hopes. However, the roster surrounding them doesn’t appear to be as deep or athletic as it was entering last season. At best, the Nuggets could look more like a fifth- or sixth-seed team rather than a legitimate championship favorite. That’s a major difference from the expectations surrounding Denver one year ago.
Calling the Nuggets overrated may sound harsh, especially when Nikola Jokic is still on the roster. As long as Jokic is healthy, Denver will have a legitimate chance to compete. The three-time MVP remains arguably the best offensive player in basketball, and his ability to control a game gives Denver a higher floor than most teams in the Western Conference.
However, Jokic can’t do everything himself. He is entering the second-to-last year of his current contract and will turn 32 next season. While there is no reason to believe he suddenly won’t be an elite player, Denver has to consider how much longer Jokic will remain at the absolute peak of his prime. The Nuggets’ window isn’t necessarily closed, but the margin for error is becoming smaller.
The word “overrated” might be harsh, but the Nuggets have an opportunity to change that perception. Denver still has Nikola Jokic. They still have Jamal Murray. They still have championship experience. Those factors alone make the Nuggets dangerous.
However, the combination of a disappointing playoff exit, a less talented supporting cast and one of the league’s highest payrolls creates legitimate questions heading into the 2026-27 season. The Nuggets have to prove that their first-round loss to Minnesota was an anomaly rather than a sign of a declining roster.
So, who is the most overrated contender entering the 2026-27 NBA season? The Denver Nuggets have a strong case. Of course, preseason projections are always interesting when looking back at them months later. Denver could easily prove its doubters wrong and make another deep playoff run.
But, if the Nuggets struggle again, the questions surrounding the roster, payroll and championship window will only become louder. It will be intriguing to see how these preseason perceptions look in hindsight.
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