Nuggets have a significant fall in post-free agency Power Rankings

The Denver Nuggets have fared quite well in NBA Power Rankings over the last couple of seasons.

After all, they were the champions in 2023 and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in 2024.

They’re very much still a contender, and will be for as long as Nikola Jokic is on the roster.

But this has been an underwhelming offseason for GM Calvin Booth and Nuggets fans are more than a little worried about next year and beyond. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is gone to Orlando, Reggie Jackson was traded in a salary dump and the only free agent addition to the roster thus far is Dario Saric.

Promising rookie Daron Holmes II tore his Achilles in his first summer league game and is out for the year. Jamal Murray’s contract extension has come with some unexpected drama as well. It hasn’t been a great summer for Denver.

Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that ESPN’s latest NBA Power Rankings have the Nuggets taking a significant tumble. They went from No. 2 in the NBA on June 17 right after the finals, to No. 7 in the league on July 17.

In those first rankings, they only trailed the champion Celtics. Now, ESPN has them behind the Celtics, Thunder, Timberwolves, Knicks, Mavericks and 76ers.

“The Nuggets can use more veteran depth,” writes ESPN. “One name on the radar is Russell Westbrook, and the Clippers and Westbrook’s agent are exploring pathways to moving the former MVP point guard.”

With Jalen Pickett struggling in summer league, the Nuggets definitely need a veteran point guard behind Jamal Murray. Hopefully Westbrook still comes to Denver, but as Jake Shapiro noted earlier this week, there is still a potential hang up there.

Regardless, the Nuggets have taken a step back this offseason. And it’s not just local folks sounding the alarm. The national writers are noticing as well.

Related

Another new team enters the Peyton Watson sweepstakesSpencer Jones opens up about free agency on LinkedInThe addition of DeMar DeRozan would transform the NuggetsIt’s hard to imagine the Nuggets taking on the repeater tax next seasonReport: Nuggets offer Peyton Watson way less money than Christian BraunNuggets give David Adelman some help, hire Dave Joerger