The 2025 NBA offseason has not been as eventful as many were hoping, but one championship contender got significantly better. This offseason, the Denver Nuggets notably lost Michael Porter Jr., Russell Westbrook, and Dario Saric, but have brought in Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, and Tim Hardaway Jr to replace them.
The Nuggets already successfully built a championship-winning team around superstar center Nikola Jokic in 2023, and many fans are getting a similar feeling about next season's squad.
🚨THE DENVER NUGGETS NEW ROTATION🚨
PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Christian Braun
SF: Cameron Johnson
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic
PG: Bruce Brown
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr
SF: Julian Strawther
PF: Peyton Watson
C: Jonas Valanciunas
Best in the west? pic.twitter.com/MevySVQbHr
— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) July 1, 2025
Of course, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is arguably the best player in the world, but one superstar is giving him a run for his money. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off one of the best individual seasons in league history, winning NBA MVP and Finals MVP, becoming one of just 11 players to do both in the same season.
However, Jokic has had a slew of historic seasons himself. Regardless of the debate between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, the two superstars are expected to lead their respective teams to the top two slots in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15)
May 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Christian Braun (0) and forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the first quarter during game four of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey recently released new power rankings "if the 2025-26 NBA season started today," and he slotted the Nuggets in a modest second place. Of course, just one team is ranking ahead of the Nuggets, with the defending champions, the OKC Thunder, taking the top spot.
The Nuggets, alongside their new additions, retain their core group of Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun to help out Jokic, creating one of the most well-rounded lineups in the NBA. However, it is hard to argue against the Thunder.
The Thunder are coming off a 68-win season, and even beat the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs. Still, the Nuggets went toe-to-toe with the eventual champions and have only gotten better since then.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to close series vs. Nuggets:
Game 7: 35 PTS, 63.2% FG
Game 6: 32 PTS, 68.8% FG
Game 5: 31 PTS, 52.2% FG
Thunder advance to Western Conference Finals for first time since 2016.pic.twitter.com/cEgcE5FM6k
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 18, 2025
The Nuggets won 50 games last season and took both of their playoff series to seven games, beating the LA Clippers and losing to OKC, but with Jokic leading the way, they were undoubtedly in the championship conversation.
The biggest difference between the Thunder and Nuggets heading into the 2025-26 season is that Oklahoma City did not make any adjustments in the offseason, and while there is no real reason to after winning a championship with a young core, only time will tell how this new-look Denver team stacks up against them.