Inside The Nuggets

Denver Nuggets NBA Champion Gets Honest About Losing Two Players

The Denver Nuggets look much different this season.

Joey Linn

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) and center Nikola Jokic (15) against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) and center Nikola Jokic (15) against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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The Denver Nuggets are not the same team that won the 2023 NBA championship. While they still have the starting quartet of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon, some key pieces have departed.

Bruce Brown and Jeff Green signed elsewhere in free agency following that 2023 playoff run. Earning himself a two-year, $45M deal with the Indiana Pacers, Brown departed in a move many saw coming. The Green departure was a bit more unexpected, as he signed with the Houston Rockets on a two-year, $16M deal.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the next Nuggets player to depart, doing so after this past season when he signed with the Orlando Magic on a three-year, $66M deal (contract details via Spotrac).

Speaking with Matt Brooks of Nuggets.com, Gordon mentioned the departures of both Green and Caldwell-Pope when speaking about where this team is now.

“Love them. Love ‘em. Love ‘em. Love ‘em. We got better," Gordon said of his team’s offseason additions. "I hate losing [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] and Jeff Green, but I like our additions."

Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) looks on from the bench with center DeAndre Jordan (6) and forward Jeff Green (32) in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

It was interesting that Gordon mentioned Green and Caldwell-Pope, considering Green departed last year, but that was his honest statement to Brooks.

The Nuggets brought in Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric, two players who project to really elevate their second unit. This will be another very competitive year in the Western Conference.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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