Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets veteran Aaron Gordon has commemorated his iconic dunk on Landry Shamet with a new diamond pendant.

Gordon's jeweler and friend, Buckz The Jeweler, gifted him the pendant this week. It features a mini Gordon jumping over a mini Shamet but instead of holding a basketball, he's holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"This pendant took me and my team 504 hours to bring every last detail to life," Buckz told TMZ Sports. "I knew I had to capture that all-time great moment on a pendant."

Aaron Gordon iced out his poster dunk on Landry Shamet 🥶

(Via @TMZ_Sports ) pic.twitter.com/ZP49PvKu76

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 22, 2023

During a Dec. 26 matchup against the Phoenix Suns, Gordon soared over Shamet for a dunk in a one-point game in overtime. He was initially called for an offensive foul but it was reversed and he ended up with the bucket and the and-1.

Watch every angle ⬇️
pic.twitter.com/bFEzWMwpxb

— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022

Gordon finished the game with 28 points in a 128-125 overtime win for Denver that gave it sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.

After winning the 2023 NBA championship, the Denver Nuggets are hoping to make another run at the title.

Not much has changed for the team that went 53-29 and was victorious in 16 out of 20 postseason games on its way to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in franchise history.

Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić will continue to lead the Nuggets alongside star point guard Jamal Murray, rising forward Michael Porter Jr. and veteran starters Aaron Gordon and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. Denver did lose a key rotational player in Bruce Brown, but added veteran point guard Reggie Jackson and swingman Justin Holiday to maintain some depth.

Head coach Michael Malone will have the tough task of getting the Nuggets to be the first team to repeat as champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. However, Denver will be a perennial contender as long as Jokić is on the roster.

Here's a look at the slate the reigning champs will be facing this season.

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2023-24 Nuggets Schedule Details

Season Opener: Tuesday, Oct. 24 vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Championship Odds: +480 (bet $100 to win $480), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: NBA.com

Domain Expansion: Schedule Release 💥 pic.twitter.com/TmnZEFlwFo

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) August 17, 2023

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Top Matchups

Los Angeles Lakers (First game: Oct. 24)

After getting swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Nuggets, it's safe to assume that the Los Angeles Lakers will be seeking vengeance this season.

Actually, Los Angeles head coach Darvin Ham made it clear that he's taking aim at Denver after Malone was dubbed "the Lakers' daddy" during the Nuggets' championship parade. As far as Ham is concerned, "This s--t ain't over."

Darvin Ham wants all the smoke 😤

(via @ChrisBHaynes, @TheSteinLine) pic.twitter.com/T5cafDyozP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 13, 2023

The Lakers reloaded this offseason by retaining their key young players while also adding depth across the roster. Los Angeles re-signed Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell and added a slew of new faces like Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes.

All of those players should help support star big man Anthony Davis and the legendary LeBron James as he embarks on his 21st season.

The Lakers will surely be motivated to exorcise those playoff demons, so the Nuggets will have to be ready to match their intensity in each of their three meetings.

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Philadelphia 76ers (First game: Jan. 16)

When the two best big men in the NBA face off, it will be appointment viewing every time.

Jokić and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid lay claim to each of the last three NBA MVP awards, with Embiid finally breaking through last season after finishing second to Jokic in each of the previous two years.

While the Nuggets star has maintained that he doesn't care about individual awards, there's a chance he's peeved about not getting the chance to three-peat as MVP. There's also a chance that Embiid feels his win was overshadowed by Jokic winning his first championship.

The Sixers have virtually the same core around Embiid. Star guard James Harden requested to be traded after exercising his player option for this season, but that hasn't happened. Philadelphia is expecting Tyrese Maxey to continue his steady improvement as he enters his fourth year.

Embiid has yet to prove he can lead a team to a title, falling in the conference semifinals in each of the last three years. Seeing Jokić achieve the ultimate goal last year should motivate him, which could create some intense games when they meet twice this year.

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Season Forecast

The Nuggets likely will be among the top contenders for a title once again, but the path to repeating as champions will not be easy.

The Western Conference is loaded with hungry teams ready to chase a ring, and the Eastern Conference is as talented as ever.

Denver's lack of moves this offseason could come back to haunt the team. Brown was a key member of the rotation thanks to his defense and his ability to be a secondary ball-handler. Jackson is a capable backup point guard, but he has never been known for his defense.

Still, the rest of the band is still together. Jokić, Murray and Porter can be a vaunted Big Three in the NBA if the latter of the three makes a jump to stardom. Gordon and Caldwell-Pope bring championship experience and a sense of familiarity to the starting lineup. Christian Braun will assume a more significant role after a promising rookie season.

The rest of the NBA might have closed the gap, but that shouldn't stop Denver from having another successful season. However, a run to the NBA Finals will not come easily.

Record Prediction: 51-31

Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray announced he will miss the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup to focus on his continued recovery after Denver's NBA championship run.

"When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup," he said Wednesday.

"In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament. It's still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal."

Canada opens the World Cup on Aug. 25 against France, while the Nuggets' playoff run ended June 12 with their Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. That would've left Murray with a relatively quick turnaround, and then he would've had roughly a month to get prepared for the 2023-24 regular season.

Denver teammate Nikola Jokić already decided to skip the World Cup to give himself enough rest before stepping back on the court.

Murray gave it an honest go, showing up for training camp with Canada to see where he was physically and whether he might be able to make the trip to Southeast Asia for the tournament.

🇨🇦 @CanBball has begun prep for the 2023 @FIBAWC!

(📽️ @NBACanada) pic.twitter.com/JepENDi3kZ

— NBA (@NBA) August 1, 2023

Coach Jordi Fernández will now have to forge ahead without one of his best players as the Canadians look to earn their first World Cup medal.

The New York Knicks' RJ Barrett, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Houston Rockets all figure to be key players in that quest. Purdue star Zach Edey, the reigning national player of the year, will help to anchor things inside.

Count Austin Reaves among the players who think Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid shouldn't have been named the 2022-23 NBA MVP.

Speaking on the Full Send Podcast (23:30-24:30 mark), Reaves said that he believes Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokić should have taken home the honor.

"The way that he plays is so unique for a big man. But obviously, Joel's really good and dominates the game in just a different facet," Reaves said. "It's just Jokic—I think we were going back to the MVP—I think it was just voter's fatigue."

Jokić won back-to-back MVP awards in 2021 and 2022, so a number of people, including Reaves, thought he didn't win the award last season because voters wanted to see someone new receive the honor.

Jokić had an impressive 2022-23 campaign, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 69 games while shooting 63.2 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from deep.

However, Embiid also put together the best season of his career and was very deserving of the honor. He averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks in 66 games while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor and 33.0 percent from beyond the arc.

While the consensus seems to be that Jokić is the better player, especially after leading the Nuggets to an NBA title, that shouldn't discredit what Embiid was able to accomplish.

Also, the last player to win three straight MVP awards was Larry Bird between 1984 and 1986, so the feat is extremely difficult to achieve.

Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell said on The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone that he believes Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is the best player in basketball right now.

Russell was asked if he felt the defending champion Nuggets got enough general respect leaguewide after his title, and he provided this response (31:30 mark).

"Yea, they got the best player in basketball," Russell said. "They got the best player in basketball on that team. No disrespect to nobody, he's the best player in the NBA right now. Not even close."

Philadelphia 76ers guard and podcast host Patrick Beverley agreed, and Russell continued.

"I said this like two years ago...how do you guard him? How do you guard somebody that don't even want the ball? I ain't gonna say he don't want the ball...but he don't care..."

Russell saw Jokić and the Nuggets close up during the Western Conference Finals, when Denver swept the Lakers in four games. Jokić, a two-time NBA MVP, averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game.

It's hard to argue against Jokić being the best player in basketball right now given his recent success. He now has two NBA regular-season MVP awards, an NBA Finals MVP award and an NBA championship on his resume. The only active players who can claim the same baseline or better right now are LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetotokounmpo.

Jokić and the Nuggets return the majority of last year's core minus Bruce Brown, who should be a big loss off the bench. But Jokić is back alongside Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, and it's certainly possible the big man maintains his title as the unofficial best player in basketball next year too.

Nuggets star Nikola Jokić will not suit up for the Serbian national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup following Denver's run to the 2023 NBA title, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The FIBA World Cup begins Aug. 25 with games being played across Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Jokić appeared in 69 regular-season games for the Nuggets last season before suiting up in all 20 postseason games as Denver claimed their first NBA championship with a victory over the Miami Heat in the finals.

The two-time MVP also averaged a whopping 39.5 minutes per game during Denver's postseason run, so he understandably needs the extra rest heading into the 2023-24 campaign.

"With [Nikola] Jokic, we had several conversations, and I must say they were some of the best conversations I've had with players who couldn't make it to the roster," Serbian national team head coach Svetislav Pesic said, per BasketNews. "He's physically and mentally exhausted, not feeling ready to take responsibility at the moment."

Since making his NBA debut during the 2015-16 season, Jokić has suited up for Serbia three times, including in the 2016 and 2019 FIBA World Cups. He most recently played for his country last year in the EuroBasket tournament.

Losing Jokić for this summer's World Cup is a tough blow for the Serbian national team as they aim to clinch a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Seven teams will clinch an Olympic spot in this year's tournament.

Still, Jokić likely has his sights set on helping the Nuggets repeat as NBA champions next season. With his eyes on the prize, getting some extra rest will be the best thing for the veteran as he'll only continue to shoulder a significant workload.

The Denver Nuggets didn't face much resistance on their way to winning the 2023 NBA championship, losing a total of four games across for playoff series.

Veteran guard Bruce Brown, who signed with the Indiana Pacers this offseason, recently revealed on the Run Your Race podcast that the Nuggets were especially confident during the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. While none of the games were blowouts, Brown said "It never felt like we were gonna lose any game" as Denver managed to complete the four-game sweep:

"I would say our toughest series was Minnesota ... Phoenix it was just blowouts each game ... [Lakers] It never felt like we were gonna lose any game."

Bruce Brown on the Nuggets' championship run 👀

(via Run Your Race Podcast, @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/GNIbjEc6BD

— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) July 18, 2023

The Nuggets went on to defeat the Miami Heat in five games in the NBA Finals. It was the first NBA championship in franchise history.

Brown was a key member of Denver's run to the title, coming off the bench to average 12.0 points 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals during the postseason.

The 26-year-old will now bring a veteran presence to a Pacers team that has missed the playoffs in each of the last three years.

The Denver Nuggets picked up Reggie Jackson as a seemingly late-season addition ahead of the playoffs, but he is reportedly staying put beyond the one championship push.

Denver and the guard agreed to a new two-year, $10.25 million deal with a player option for the second season on Friday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Jackson started the 2022-23 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers, but they dealt him to the Charlotte Hornets for Mason Plumlee. He never played for the Hornets before completing a contract buyout, which freed him to sign with a contender in Denver.

There was no need for a rebuilding Hornets team to play the veteran as they looked ahead to the draft and adding young assets to help turn things around in the future, and signing with the Nuggets—which finished as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference—gave the 33-year-old the opportunity to pursue the first championship in his career.

He has been something of a journeyman since he entered the league in 2011 as a first-round pick, having played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Clippers and Nuggets.

Jackson has been a high-volume scorer at times and averaged as many as 18.8 points per game when he was with the Pistons in 2015-16. This past season was his 10th consecutive one in which he averaged double figures, as he finished with 10.2 points, 3.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game across his time on the Clippers and Nuggets.

Yet playing for a championship contender in Denver meant a smaller role in the offense, and the Boston College product averaged 7.9 points in 16 regular-season games before he became a non-factor in the playoffs.

To his credit, Jackson seemed more willing to adjust his game to Jamal Murray in the backcourt than perhaps Bones Hyland was in an up-and-down fit, and he told reporters as much after joining the team.

"It's really whatever he needs," Jackson said of Murray. "He's such a great player. Whatever he needs to alleviate … whether he needs me to guard, you know he can score with the best of them. If he takes away the pressure and needs me to score and make plays on the back side, I'll be ready. Ever since I came in the league, I've played beside great guards."

That fit helped the Nuggets win the championship, even though Jackson didn't see much of the court while averaging 3.0 minutes per game in the postseason.

Attention now turns toward the future, and Jackson will look to improve with some additional continuity on the team.

While he is 33 and shot just 33.3 percent from deep this past season, his three-point percentage was a blistering 43.3 as recently as 2020-21. There is no reason to expect anything but a shooting bounce-back as he grows more accustomed to taking advantage of the spacing around Murray and Nikola Jokić, and he was comfortable taking a secondary role during the stretch run.

All that should help Jackson establish himself as a contributor in Denver even if he is in the back half of his career.

One day after being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers, veteran guard Eric Gordon is already reportedly garnering interest from other teams.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers are interested in pursuing Gordon in free agency, The Athletic's Kelly Iko reported.

Gordon is looking for an "outlined role with a contender," Ito said.

The 34-year-old guard averaged 11.0 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 22 games with the Los Angeles Clippers after a midseason trade from the Houston Rockets. The Clippers, who drafted Gordon at No. 7 in 2008, waived him Wednesday instead of guaranteeing his $20.9 million salary for the 2023-24 season.

It was only five months ago that Los Angeles gave up Luke Kennard, John Wall and a protected pick swap, which allowed the Rockets to move up 10 spots in the 2023 first round, to acquire Gordon.

Kennard was leading the NBA in shooting accuracy from behind the arc for the second straight season when he was traded. According to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, the Clippers preferred Gordon's "ability to stretch the floor, defend bigger guards and... attack the rim."

Those qualities were not enough to convince the Clippers to keep Gordon on the roster when considering the impact his contract would have on their tax bill.

The waiver will drop the Clippers projected tax bill from $169M to $59M.

LA is $18M over the $165M tax threshold. https://t.co/fH45jxSJN8

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2023

Several of the teams interested in pursuing Gordon are similarly cap-strapped. The Lakers, Bucks, Trail Blazers, Suns and Wolves all rank among the bottom 10 NBA teams in terms of cap space, per Spotrac.

These are teams looking for veteran guard depth, however. The Lakers showed "strong interest" in pursuing Chris Paul, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, and the Suns could be searching for his replacement. The Grizzlies, one of the NBA's youngest teams last season, could be looking for some experienced depth. The Blazers are committed to "building a winner" around Damian Lillard, who wants to play with veterans.

In addition to their tax bill, the Clippers might have waived Gordon to clear room for star guard James Harden. Los Angeles is pursuing the Philadelphia 76ers veteran, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday.

JUST IN: James Harden is opting into his $35.6 million deal for next season – in order for the 10-time All-Star and the 76ers to work together on a trade out of Philadelphia, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2023

In 15 seasons, Gordon has averaged 16.0 points per game on a 42.9 shooting percentage. As a free-agency target for teams looking for veteran experience in their guard rotation at a lower cost than Harden, he makes sense.

Jamal Murray may have let the cat out of the bag on Bruce Brown's return to the Denver Nuggets.

During an interview on beIN Sports, Murray congratulated Brown on a yet-to-be-announced extension.

"We always talk about, once we win everybody will eat, everybody gets taken care of. We're starting to see that. Like Bruce and his extension, so congrats to him," Murray said.

Brown declined a $6.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season, setting himself up for unrestricted free agency after winning his first championship. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 35.8 percent from three and playing a critical role off the bench.

The Nuggets likely would not have won the NBA championship without Brown's tenacity on the boards, shot-making and secondary distributing skills.

His do-everything game meshed well with Murray, Nikola Jokić and the remainder of the Denver core, but it's a bit surprising he would not choose to test the market. The most the Nuggets can offer Brown for the 2023-24 season is $7.8 million.

Brown will likely re-enter free agency before the 2024-25 season when the Nuggets have his Bird rights, but until then he'll be vastly underpaid.