Denver Nuggets fans and gamblers have had more than enough. The inconsistent Nuggets were not considered to be a serious NBA future odds contender for the 2026 NBA championship. Previously, head coach Michael Malone led the Nuggets to that historic championship. However, it became clear that Malone was being tuned out and was no longer effective. Thus, he was fired right before the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Malone’s top assistant, David Adelman, took over as the interim coach and engineered enough improvement to get the interim tag removed for the season ahead.
2025-26 Denver Nuggets
| NBA Championship Odds: +800 | +800 |
|---|---|
| Western Conference Championship Odds: +500 | +500 |
| Win Total: 53.5 | 53.5 |
Denver Nuggets Key Players and Coach
David Adelman was an assistant coach in Denver under the previous head coach, Michael Malone. Subsequently, he took over in his first NBA head coaching stint.
C Nikola Jokic is considered by many to be the top player in the NBA. Jokic is the Nuggets’ marquee man who led Denver to its first NBA championship. Incredibly enough, he was the 41st overall pick (2nd round) of Denver in the 2014 NBA Draft. Jokic was the NBA Finals MVP and is a 2-time NBA MVP. Jokic is a 7-time NBA All-Star, including this season. This past offshore betting season, Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game.
Denver Nuggets Team Overview
For Denver Nuggets fans and gamblers, there is good news for 2025-26. The long 2-year NBA championship hangover may finally be over. This summer, the Nuggets had one of the most productive offseasons in the NBA. As a result, there is new optimism and a significant increase in the future market action in Denver. Since winning their only NBA championship in 2023, the Denver Nuggets have been in a perpetual hangover.
Overall, Denver’s NBA metrics were 2nd for scoring offense, 1st for field goal percentage, 5th for 3-point field goal percentage, 23rd for free throw percentage, and 4th for offensive rebounding. On defense, the Nuggets’ metrics were 25th for scoring defense, 13th for field goal percentage permitted, 22nd for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 7th for defensive rebounding.
The Denver Nuggets’ final regular season record was 50-32 straight up, 38-43-1 against the spread, and 48-33 over/under the NBA odds total. Overall, Denver was fourth in the Western Conference playoff standings, 18 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Nuggets were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.
Key additions: Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, Jonas Valančiūnas.
Key subtractions: Michael Porter Jr., Dario Šarić, Russell Westbrook, DeAndre Jordan.
Following a busy summer, Denver’s offseason resulted in the strongest Nuggets team on paper since they won the 2023 title, highlighted by swapping Porter Jr. for Johnson at the cost of a valuable 2032 unprotected first-rounder. The payroll flexibility the deal created helped Denver acquire Valanciunas from the Kings, shedding the Kings’ little-used Saric. And Denver beefed up its perimeter depth by signing Brown and Hardaway Jr. to minimum contracts.
Denver Nuggets Team History
While the Nuggets were a continual playoff team, they could not advance further than the Western Conference Finals. Denver has had stars like Dan Issel, Alex English, David Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, and Dikembe Mutombo. Still, the Nuggets lost in all four of their trips to the Western Conference Finals until 2023. Most recently, Denver bested Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games to make the Western Conference Finals during the 2019-20 season, but the Nuggets could not beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Finally, in 2023, Denver won its first NBA title.