NBA Coaches, Executives Predict Major Change in Fortune for Nuggets This Year
A panel of NBA insiders is forecasting a major turnaround for the Denver Nuggets in the 2025–26 season, setting the stage for what could be one of the league’s most competitive Western Conference races in years.
In a survey conducted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, 20 coaches, scouts, and executives were asked to predict next summer’s NBA champion. Only two teams received votes: the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who earned 18, and the Denver Nuggets, who received the remaining two.
The timing of the poll came just before news broke that Houston Rockets All-Star guard Fred VanVleet may miss the season with a torn ACL, further altering the balance of power in the West.
“It’s no surprise that the Thunder, coming off winning the NBA title and having a roster with only two players over 27 years old, is the heavy favorite to win the title,” Bontemps wrote. “But while Denver received a couple votes, due to the combination of Nikola Jokic and that souped-up bench unit, the fact that there wasn’t a single vote for an East team to win the title accurately reflects the gulf between the two conferences.”
East in Transition
The Western Conference’s dominance stands in stark contrast to the East, where traditional powers are retooling. Just last year, the Boston Celtics claimed their record-setting 18th championship by dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Now, their roster is in flux.
Team president Brad Stevens has dismantled much of that title-winning core, anticipating a rebuilding year. With Jayson Tatum sidelined indefinitely by an Achilles injury, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis shipped out, and veteran Al Horford expected to sign with Golden State, Boston is no longer the East’s powerhouse.
The Indiana Pacers, last year’s Eastern Conference champions, are also weakened. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton is out, and former center Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. While the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers appear poised to contend, insiders remain skeptical of their chances against Western rivals.
Denver Reloads
The Nuggets have been aggressive in reshaping their roster around three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. In the offseason, Denver traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson, a versatile forward seen as a more efficient fit. Christian Braun, coming off a breakout campaign, will slide into the starting unit as well.
Addressing a long-standing weakness, Denver finally acquired a reliable backup center, veteran Jonas Valanciunas, to spell Jokic. The team also added Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown to bolster bench depth, while expecting growth from Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther.
With those moves, Denver looks deeper and more balanced than in past seasons. Their mix of star power, improved role players, and dependable depth positions them as perhaps the only credible challenger to Oklahoma City in either conference.
Whether this retooled Nuggets squad can dethrone the young and reigning Thunder remains to be seen, but league insiders are confident: Denver is back in the championship conversation.
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