5 Players the Nuggets Could Add to Help Nikola Jokic Win Another Title by 2027

The Denver Nuggets enter the 2026 offseason with a roster that is still a contender. They can justify urgency, but the team is expensive and limited for any move. They went 54-28, finished as the No. 3 seed, and lost to the Timberwolves in six games in the first round. That result was not a total collapse, but it was another early exit for a team built around Nikola Jokic. Here are five players who could realistically help the Nuggets build a stronger contender around their superstar center by 2027.

1. Peyton Watson (Re-Signing Their Own)

The most important offseason decision Denver faces is not adding an outside name at all, but retaining the young wing already on the roster. The team also has to make a major internal call on Peyton Watson, who is entering restricted free agency after the best season of his career.

Watson, the primary beneficiary of injury absences elsewhere on the roster, was having a career year prior to suffering a hamstring strain just before the trade deadline in early February. He showed real upside as an on-ball scorer and cutter on top of his defensive instincts, length, athleticism, and versatility, which is why the team wants to retain him this summer. The Nuggets prioritized locking up Christian Braun over Watson last offseason with a five-year extension, leaving Watson's situation to be resolved this summer instead.

2. Bruce Brown (Re-Signing a Proven Fit)

Among Denver's own free agents, Brown represents the lowest-risk path to maintaining roster depth around Jokic. Bruce Brown is the simplest internal free-agent target because the fit has already been tested. The Nuggets know what he does well, what he does not do, and how to use him next to Jokic. That matters more for this roster than chasing a player with a bigger name and worse role clarity.

Brown signed with Denver on a minimum-salary contract last offseason as part of the team's broader push to add veterans capable of playing real minutes, alongside Tim Hardaway Jr.

3. Gary Trent Jr. (Adding Shooting Around the Core)

Beyond retaining their own pieces, Denver has also been linked to outside shooting help that could ease the floor-spacing burden around Jokic. The basketball case is strong. Trent averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 43.1% from the field and 41.6% from three. He also made 180 threes, which is the number that should get the Nuggets' attention. This roster needs more shooting volume around Jokic, not just players who can make an open three twice a week.

The financial fit, however, remains complicated. A two-year, $18.0 million deal is realistic for Trent if he reaches the market, but it is not easy for the Nuggets unless they make a separate salary move, given the team's projected position near the second luxury tax apron.

4. Klay Thompson (A Speculative Trade Target)

Among the more ambitious names connected to Denver this offseason, Thompson's potential availability has generated genuine discussion among analysts assessing whether the Nuggets should make a bigger swing. One analysis specifically argued that trading for Klay Thompson makes more sense than fans might initially think, given his continued shooting ability and championship pedigree, which could provide the kind of proven outside scoring threat Denver's roster has lacked around Jokic in recent postseason runs.

5. Rudy Gobert (A Defensive Reinforcement, If Available)

A potential Minnesota Timberwolves trade involving Gobert has also surfaced as a development Denver would welcome, given the center's recent history of frustrating Jokic defensively. Rumored Rudy Gobert trade interest is the ultimate gift for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. The Timberwolves have had the Nuggets' number in recent years, so it would be a welcome sight in Denver to see them shipping Gobert out — a dynamic underscored by the fact that Gobert was daring Jokic to shoot in the most recent playoff series, with the superstar center converting just 19.4% of his three-point attempts under that defensive pressure.

The Financial Reality Shaping Denver's Options

Any roster moves Denver makes will need to navigate an increasingly tight salary structure built around its core stars. Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun are set to make around $185.6 million combined next season, and the Nuggets are projected around $223.0 million in total salary, slightly above the second apron. The Nuggets are currently projected to be just $2.5 million below the second tax apron entering next season, meaning changes are necessary to give the franchise any wiggle room to reshape the roster.

Cameron Johnson as the Likely Trade Chip

To create that flexibility, Denver's front office appears most likely to move on from a player acquired just one offseason ago. Now, Johnson enters 2026-27 on an expiring $23 million deal, and could be a prime trade candidate for the second year in a row. It is difficult to see how the Nuggets will retain Watson or add another valuable piece without moving Johnson to free up much-needed cap space.

Jokic's Looming Extension

Beyond this offseason's specific roster maneuvering, the team's broader financial picture is also shaped by a massive extension on the horizon for its franchise center. The main reason Denver's roster projects to be far more expensive going forward is the fact that Jokic will be eligible this summer for an extension that will pay him a projected $285 million over four years — a commitment that will further constrain the team's flexibility to add talent around him in future offseasons.

Everything Outside of Jokic Is Reportedly on the Table

Team president Josh Kroenke has signaled that even significant roster pieces beyond Jokic could be moved if it improves Denver's championship odds. Outside of Jokic, everything could potentially be on the table for the Nuggets, as president Josh Kroenke acknowledged at his end-of-season press conference. Murray and Gordon notably can't be ruled out as possible trade candidates after playing vital roles in the team's success for the better part of the past decade.

With the 2026 NBA Draft providing Denver with picks at No. 26 and No. 49, and free agency opening shortly after, the coming weeks will reveal how aggressively the Nuggets pursue outside additions versus simply retaining and reshuffling their existing core around Jokic. Given the team's tight financial position near the second apron, much of Denver's roster-building flexibility will likely hinge on successfully moving Cameron Johnson's contract, while the simultaneous decisions on retaining Peyton Watson and re-signing Bruce Brown will go a long way toward determining whether the Nuggets can field a deeper, more well-rounded roster capable of getting Jokic back to championship contention by 2027.