Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is changing his jersey number ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The Nuggets list Gordon as No. 32 on their roster after he had previously worn No. 50. The number was last occupied by Jeff Green.

Gordon's older brother, Drew, wore No. 32 while playing collegiately at New Mexico and during an overseas career that included stints in France, Russia and Japan among other stops. Drew Gordon died in a car crash in May.

Aaron is approaching his 11th year in the NBA and fifth in the Mile High City. He averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists during the 2023-24 regular season. In the playoffs, he scored 14.3 points per contest on 58.5 percent shooting, including 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6'8" forward is eligible to become a free agent in 2025 by opting out of the $22.8 million he's owed for 2025-26.

Gordon will once again be a key cog in the Nuggets' championship aspirations.

Nikola Jokić is a three-time MVP because of his potent three-level scoring, elite playmaking and consistent rebounding.

Turns out he has some hops, too.

The Denver Nuggets superstar tossed himself an alley-oop off the backboard during Goran Dragić's farewell game in Ljubljana, Slovenia on Saturday:

Just some Nikola Jokic self-lob action 👀🃏

Goran Dragic Farewell Game | NBA App ⤵️https://t.co/XPFEMpvioO pic.twitter.com/Fs7VkmHgia

— NBA (@NBA) August 24, 2024

The Dragić testimonial is a star-studded affair that also includes Luka Dončić, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Bogdan Bogdanović, Robin Lopez, Josh Richardson and Nikola Vučević, while Chris Bosh attended as a spectator.

First names in their respective starting lineups for Saturday night’s Goran Dragic testimonial game in Ljubljana: Dragic goes with his mentor Steve Nash — who is apparently indeed playing at age 50 — and Luka Doncic names Nikola Jokic.

More NBA from me: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq pic.twitter.com/Q0ccMiUKMC

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 23, 2024

The Dragic Testimonial Match is being shown tomorrow afternoon US time on the NBA app with details below via my Ljubljana tour guide Professor @iztok_franko.

Dragic says he and Nash will play up-tempo. Luka says his team is going inside all day to Jokic, Scola and @rolopez42. https://t.co/ivVYHiXx20

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 23, 2024

Dragić, who retired in Dec. 2023, is also having his No. 3 jersey retired on the international level by Slovenia.

"Words and actions are not enough to express gratitude and respect for such a great player as Goran Dragic," Matej Erjavec, the president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, said in a statement. "His extraordinary career, his approach to wearing the jersey of the Slovenian national team, and his success on the court speak for themselves. Goran Dragic deserves to be honored for everything he has done for Slovenian basketball. Retiring the jersey No. 3 is a gesture for the Basketball Federation of Slovenia to show our deep respect for him."

Jokić's going-away present for Dragić was a little bit of above-the-rim sauce.

Strahinja Jokić, who is the brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, appeared in Denver County Court on Wednesday regarding a misdemeanor assault charge and was issued a protection order requiring him to stay away from the alleged victim.

Shelly Bradbury of the Denver Post reported Thursday the charge stems from an April fight at Denver's Ball Arena during a game between the Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers.

In addition to the protection order, Jokić must return to court in October to enter a plea and complete fingerprinting.

He is facing the third-degree assault charge after video appeared to show him punch a man inside the stadium after what police described as a "verbal exchange." The alleged victim spoke to police and said he suffered a concussion, as well as cuts and bruises on his face.

Jokić, who was charged in July, said he was defending an older man he knew.

The older brother of the Nuggets star also ran into legal trouble in 2019 when he was "charged with assault and accused of choking and pushing a woman, then preventing her from calling 911," per Bradbury.

He ended up pleading guilty to a felony count of trespassing and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing phone service, although the trespassing charge was dismissed in 2022 after he completed the terms of following court rules for unsupervised probation and not committing any other crimes for two years.

False imprisonment and assault charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement in that case.

Jokić is often seen sitting courtside at Nuggets games and has participated in celebrations on the floor with his brother and the team after playoff victories.

After winning the title in 2023 but facing a Western Conference Semifinal exit last season, the Denver Nuggets are hoping to bounce back while their championship window is still open.

It was a somewhat quiet offseason for the Nuggets that saw them lose a key role player in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who departed for the Orlando Magic in free agency. Caldwell-Pope was a major factor in Denver's 2023 title run, and it can only hope his exit doesn't prove too costly.

But the Nuggets did bring in a key veteran in Russell Westbrook, who is looking to win his first championship after his tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Fresh off his third MVP season, Nikola Jokić will look to pick up where he left off and have another big year, while his wingman Jamal Murray will hope to make another leap and perhaps earn his first All-Star bid.

Here's a look at the Nuggets' schedule, some key games and an outlook on how the season could unfold.

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2024-25 Nuggets Schedule Details

Season Opener: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, Oct. 24, 10 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +900 (bet $100 to win $900), per FanDuel.

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.

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Top Matchups

Minnesota Timberwolves

After losing to the Timberwolves in seven games in last season's Western Conference Semifinals, the Nuggets are hoping to get a few big wins over Minnesota this year.

Both teams are likely going to be among the best squads in the West this season, so this matchup should have lots of hype around it. Fans got seven exciting games between Denver and Minnesota in the postseason and while the regular season matchups won't have the same intensity, both teams will be looking to assert themselves over the other.

Another factor at play is the importance of head-to-head wins at the end of the season. Last year, both the Nuggets and Timberwolves found themselves atop the Western Conference standings, and seeding for the playoffs came down to just a few games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see something similar happen this year.

Denver and Minnesota have become familiar playoff opponents, facing off against each other the last two years, so this matchup will give them a chance to scout each other out before the postseason.

Los Angeles Lakers

The matchup between the Nuggets and Lakers has become a fun rivalry over the past few seasons.

It's safe to say Denver has owned Los Angeles, sweeping the Lakers in the 2023 conference finals and eliminating them in just five games in the first round last year. But for a player like LeBron James, that's only motivation.

James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers squad will come into this matchup fired up and looking to prove that they can contend with the Nuggets despite what the last two seasons have shown us.

Recent history proves that James' quest for another title likely will have to go through Denver, and that will make this matchup one to watch.

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Season Forecast

The Nuggets were one of the scariest teams in the league last year after coming off a championship, but they're not quite as threatening this season after proving they are mortal in the 2023-24 campaign.

That's not to say Denver isn't among the best teams in the NBA—it certainly still is. But the Nuggets will need to figure out what they need to do to make a run at the title now that the rest of the league has caught up to them.

Much of their success will depend on how big of a leap Murray takes this season. The 27-year-old had a great year, putting up 21.2 points and 6.5 assists per game last season, and he seems due to make a jump.

He's on the brink of being an All-Star, and if he can pass the threshold to become one of the league's best players, he and Jokić will be one of the best duos in the game.

As for Jokić, all Denver can ask of him is to continue what he has been doing. He's been one of—if not the best player in the league over the past three seasons and is the reason why the Nuggets have found so much success recently.

From there, the Nuggets will hope to get the most out of a 35-year-old Westbrook. Last year with the Clippers, Westbrook played a bench role and had some success, but if he could put together a vintage season it could help him win his first title.

Denver is coming off a second straight 50+ win season, and it should do it again this year. From there, the Nuggets will hope to have a better postseason than last year.

Record Prediction: 51-31

Nikola Jokić has won three NBA MVP awards and an NBA championship, but it can be argued he has never been happier than after leading Serbia to a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics.

Jokić and the Serbian team were joyously celebrating their 93-83 win over Germany on Saturday by singing and dancing on the team bus.

Nikola Jokić was turning up with the rest of the Serbian national basketball team after they secured a medal at the Paris Olympics 🔥

🎥 @KSSrbije | #Paris2024pic.twitter.com/or3DGe8rcn

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 10, 2024

After failing to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, Serbia returned to the field this year after finishing second at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Jokić took a hiatus from the Serbian team after the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He had a phenomenal tournament for his home country, leading all players in points, rebounds, assists and steals after the bronze-medal game.

Nikola Jokic is now

1st in points
1st in rebounds
1st in assists
1st in steals

in the Paris Olympics. pic.twitter.com/MYW8ZgsYU9

— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 10, 2024

Jokić also became the fourth player in Olympic history to record a triple-double. He finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in 38 minutes against Germany. The 29-year-old finished one assist shy of a triple-double two other times in the tournament.

In total, Jokić averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game in six starts during the 2024 Olympics.

Serbia is currently the No. 4 team in the FIBA world rankings. It could be argued this group has been the second-best in the Olympics behind the United States, but because of how the brackets lined up those two teams squared off in the semifinal.

Team USA had to overcome a 17-point deficit against Serbia in the semifinal. It would have been the first time the U.S. lost in the knockout round of the Olympics since 2004 and just its second loss in Olympic play dating back to 2008.

Serbia has medaled in two of the last three Olympics, winning a silver in 2016. It's the third time the Serbians have won a medal since 1992.

Several Western Conference playoff teams received votes for the worst offseason in the league during a survey of 18 NBA coaches, scouts and executives.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the Denver Nuggets received the most votes with six. The Chicago Bulls accumulated five votes, while the Los Angeles Clippers received four. The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons recorded one vote each.

Following a disappointing second-round playoff exit, the Nuggets lost one of their key contributors alongside superstar Nikola Jokić after starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joined the Orlando Magic in free agency.

Jokic draws 2... fires the no-look to KCP for 3!

Wolves-Nuggets | Game 7 on TNT#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/bkmbFs9gux

— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2024

Although Denver added Russell Westbrook on a two-year deal worth $6.8 million to fortify the team's bench unit, it didn't appear to be enough to change the minds of voters.

The Clippers also dealt with a major free-agent departure, as Paul George joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year maximum contract. In the nine-time All-Star's absence, Los Angeles will lean on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to carry the team's offense.

Following a 39-43 season, Chicago decided to move on from Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan. Caruso was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder, with DeRozan joining the Sacramento Kings as part of a sign-and-trade agreement. While both veterans are still effective in their respective roles, the Bulls were unable to receive a future first-round pick in either deal.

While the Lakers didn't lose any major rotation players in free agency, they also didn't make any blockbuster additions. Los Angeles brought back Max Christie on a four-year, $32 million deal and gave LeBron James a new two-year contract worth $101.3 million. The Lakers also replaced Darvin Ham with JJ Redick at head coach.

The Lakers, Nuggets, and Clippers will attempt to return to the postseason during the 2024-25 season while the Bulls will look to maximize their young talent surrounding Coby White.

Russell Westbrook and the Denver Nuggets have agreed to a contract following his trade from the Los Angeles Clippers and buyout by the Utah Jazz.

It’s official: Russ is a Denver Nugget 🤝 pic.twitter.com/lx276iZISu

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 26, 2024

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported the news Friday, noting the two-year contract is worth $6.8 million and has a player option for the second season.

Westbrook, who spent parts of the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, was part of a sign-and-trade deal between the Clippers and Jazz, as first reported Thursday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Jazz then waived Westbrook and bought out the remainder of his contract. The former MVP had previously opted in to a player option for the 2024-25 season worth just over $4 million.

The deal marked Westbrook's fifth trade since 2019, setting a record for a former league MVP. He was also dealt to and waived by the Jazz in 2023 before signing with the Clippers.

Westbrook averaged a career-low 11.1 points and 4.5 assists in 68 appearances during his last season in Los Angeles.

He began the 2023-24 campaign as a starter for the Clippers, but was moved primarily to a bench role following the Clippers' midseason acquisition of James Harden.

Westbrook finished the season having played a career-low 22.5 minutes per game, but still provided reliable defense for the Clippers' second unit.

Those defensive capabilities will make him a solid depth option for the Nuggets, a team looking to fill bolster their backcourt after losing starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.

Although his days as a starter may be behind him, Westbrook could prove to be a boost to the Nuggets' defensive depth as the team looks to follow up last season's 57-win campaign with another run to the NBA finals in 2025.

The Denver Nuggets are reportedly going to bring in a future Hall of Famer on a multi-year deal this offseason.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Friday that point guard Russell Westbrook will "likely" join the Nuggets on a two-year deal with a player option. Westbrook is available because the Utah Jazz waived him after acquiring him via trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.

That the UCLA product is going to end up in Denver comes as no surprise.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in the aftermath of the Clippers trade on July 18 that Utah was expected to agree to a buyout with the veteran to clear the way for him to "eventually join" the Nuggets.

There was a time when Westbrook joining a contender like the Nuggets would be one of the biggest stories of the entire offseason.

His resume includes the 2016-17 MVP, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star nods and a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He isn't that far removed from being one of the best players in the league, and his explosiveness in the open floor and ability to stuff the stat sheet was almost unrivaled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQGath9eQsk

However, he will turn 36 years old in November and isn't the same playmaker he was during his peak on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Westbrook has bounced around after playing the 11 seasons of his career on the Thunder and suited up for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers in recent seasons.

He can still provide a spark off the bench and is someone who can anchor Denver's second unit much like he did for the Clippers last season when he finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

Choosing the Nuggets is also notable because the one thing missing from his list of accomplishments is a championship ring. Denver won the title during the 2022-23 campaign and will likely be on the short list of realistic contenders again in 2024-25 with Nikola Jokić leading the way.

If Westbrook excels in his role, perhaps he can finally take home a ring in the latter portion of his career.

Former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook is reportedly expected to team up with Nikola Jokić on the Denver Nuggets after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Once Russell Westbrook clears waivers, the expectation is that’ll join the Denver Nuggets as a free agent and bring them another veteran to bolster the team’s bench and be available as a spot-starter. pic.twitter.com/hgFNi4rVWz

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2024

Per Wojnarowski, Westbrook was sent to the Utah Jazz as part of a sign-and-trade agreement for guard Kris Dunn. However, he's reportedly expected to agree to a buyout with Utah and join Denver.

Fans were intrigued by Westbrook's fit alongside Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić after his projected destination for the 2024-25 season was reported.

BREAKING: Clippers are sending Russell Westbrook, second-round pick swap and cash to the Jazz in a sign and trade for Kris Dunn, per @wojespn

Westbrook is “expected to agree” on a contract buyout with the Jazz, clearing the way for him to join the Nuggets pic.twitter.com/H6MnljgYeZ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 18, 2024

Westbrook to the Nuggets, Jokic & Westbrook combo is going to be interesting.

— Julio Murillo (@JEM_el_tarasco) July 18, 2024

Most triple-doubles by an active player:

199 — Westbrook
130 — Jokic

Teaming up? pic.twitter.com/sExGCvTDhd

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 18, 2024

The bench guard options for Denver are pretty severely lacking right now. Westbrook is a huge upgrade.

And he may not even end up playing with Jokic all that much. He adds juice to a second unit that should be able to race up and down the floor. https://t.co/tbG1QE1mgD

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 18, 2024

Good move for him. Come off the bench for a few mins

— Stock PlayMaker 🌐 (@stockplaymaker1) July 18, 2024

https://twitter.com/JEM_el_tarasco/status/1814005758595662086

WESTBROOK ON THE NUGS IS HUGE!!

— Steve 🤙 (@SteveKBark) July 18, 2024

Jokic gonna love Russ

— Rippe🎯 (@MichaelRippe) July 18, 2024

Westbrook with the Nuggets is a huge W.

Westbrook gets way too much disrespect.

— SonicsMuse (@SonicsMuse) July 18, 2024

While Jamal Murray will maintain his status as the team's No. 2 option next to Jokić, Westbrook should soak up most of the available reserve minutes in the backcourt.

Point guard Reggie Jackson, who appeared in all 82 regular-season games with Denver last season, was traded to the Charlotte Hornets on June 27 in order to help the Nuggets open up salary cap space.

That left undrafted rookie Trey Alexander as the team's top backup option before Westbrook was reportedly acquired. While Alexander has looked promising in the Summer League environment, it would be risky for the Nuggets to immediately rely on him to contribute for a squad with championship aspirations.

Although Westbrook's MVP days are behind him, he can still handle a large offensive role for stretches at a time and performed admirably as a reserve for the Clippers last season. In 68 games, he averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 assists in a career-low 22.5 minutes per game on 45.4 percent shooting.

RUSS ROCKED THE BABY ON BOL BOL 😅 pic.twitter.com/9K2GopiKcN

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 4, 2024

With 2023-24 starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope departing to join the Orlando Magic in free agency, Westbrook could also spend some time in Denver's starting unit with Murray occupying the other backcourt spot.

As Jokić and the Nuggets look to respond from a relatively disappointing second-round playoff exit, Westbrook could become a key contributor next season.

The Denver Nuggets agreed to sign veteran point guard Russell Westbrook to a two-year, $6.8 million contract on Friday that includes a player option for the 2025-26 season, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

Westbrook was free to sign with any team after he was waived by the Utah Jazz following a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Here's a look at the Nuggets' updated depth chart and salary cap space following Friday's move.

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Nuggets Depth Chart

• PG: Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, Trey Alexander 
• SG: Christian Braun, Julian Strawther 
• SF: Michael Porter Jr., Hunter Tyson, Justin Holiday
• PF: Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji
• C: Nikola Jokić, Dario Šarić, DeAndre Jordan

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Based on the terms of the reported agreement, the buyout in Utah and Denver's lack of flexibility under the cap, Westbrook is presumably signing for the veteran's minimum this season.The team was into the luxury tax and only $8.5 million away from the second apron for 2024-25 before accounting for the nine-time All-Star.

The franchise's precarious financial position is why the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hurt so much. Once Caldwell-Pope signed his three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic, there was no way to adequately replace a player who averaged 10.1 points per game and shot 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Westbrook at least gives the Nuggets some needed depth in the backcourt.

They don't have a lot of experience at the guard positions behind Jamal Murray. Christian Braun and Peyton Watson both only have two years under their belt. Jalen Pickett was a second-round pick in 2023. Trey Alexander is an undrafted rookie who signed a two-way deal.

Westbrook performed reasonably well in a reserve role for Los Angeles. He put up 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 22.5 minutes per game. He continued to struggle as a shooter but made 45.4 percent of his field-goal attempts overall.

The Nuggets were 25th in made threes (11.7 per game) and Westbrook certainly won't help much in that regard. His value to a contending team is also relatively limited at this point, especially when compared to his peak with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Nuggets will be playing 4 guys (Watson, Braun, Russ, AG) in their rotation you literally do not have to guard outside of 5 feet after a season where they barely got up 3s

Jokic will be fine but pray for Murray and the team as a whole in the halfcourt https://t.co/BjBoELMzQn

— K.C. (@Not___KC) July 18, 2024

This is where it's helpful to remember Denver is ultimately adding a backup point guard on a small contract. The front office isn't expecting Westbrook to be the missing piece of a championship formula.

From that perspective, it's about as much the 2023 NBA champion can do at this stage of the offseason.