The Denver Nuggets gave it a valiant effort, but at the end of the day, the Oklahoma City Thunder proved to be too much. The Nuggets pushed the best team from this past regular season to the brink of elimination, but in Game 7, the game was essentially over once the first half ended.
Ultimately, it was the same story as it has been since winning the championship a couple of years ago for Denver. Nikola Jokic is great, but Jamal Murray is an inconsistent No. 2 option, and they lack depth, especially compared to a team like the Thunder.
For the Nuggets to get back to championship contention, major moves have to be made. That ultimately starts with the team letting some players depart over the offseason.
3. The Nuggets have no use for DeAndre Jordan anymore
Somehow, this was DeAndre Jordan's third season with the Nuggets. It might not feel like it, since he has not played much of a role in the playoffs, but that is the reality. It's time for the Nuggets to ensure that he doesn't come back for a fourth year.
Where this Game 7 really fell apart for Denver was when Jokic had to be on the bench. Jordan wasn't at fault for that because he didn't play, but the fact that he didn't play should tell the Nuggets everything they need to know. He simply isn't worth rostering if he isn't worth playing.
Jordan is still an excellent rebounder, a strong finisher, and a high-end locker room presence, but his on-court ability just isn't there anymore. At 36 years old, it's not as if they're developing him for the future by having him watch veterans. His roster spot will be better used by going to someone who might end up playing for the team sometime in the future. Jordan very clearly is not that guy.
2. The Dario Saric experiment was an epic failure for the Nuggets
The Nuggets hoped that Dario Saric could be the Jokic backup that allowed their bench unit to be fine without the MVP on the court. They were so confident in Saric that they were willing to use their taxpayer mid-level exception on him. Unfortunately, the experiment turned out to be an epic failure.
Saric played in just 16 regular season games and averaged 3.5 points per game while shooting just 36.2 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from downtown. If Saric isn't hitting his jump shots, he simply doesn't provide enough value to justify playing. He did not appear in a single playoff game and played in two games after the All-Star break.
Saric's $5.4 million player option could prove to be problematic with the 31-year-old unlikely to make more than that on the open market, but even if he opts into it, the Nuggets should either try to trade or simply release him. He did not prove to be the right fit.
1. Michael Porter Jr. has to go in order for major Nuggets changes to be made
The Nuggets should make major changes, but the problem is they don't have much money to work with. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon are all set to make upwards of $22 million next season and upwards of $31 million in the 2026-27 campaign. It's safe to say that surrounding those four players with a championship-caliber roster will be difficult, knowing how much money they make. Given that, Porter should be on the trade block.
Admittedly, trading Porter, a player owed $38 million next season and $40 million the year after, is easier said than done. While he's a supremely talented scorer, he can be streaky (as we saw in this series), and he does little else on the court. He also has a major injury history that's impossible to ignore.
Porter's contract will not be one that many NBA teams will want to take on, but the Nuggets can perhaps take some bad money back in the deal, and who knows, there might be a team willing to gamble on his upside. The simple fact is that the Nuggets need more of a well-rounded roster. Trading Porter for better role players feels like the best path toward getting more of a well-rounded roster in town. The new GM, whoever that may be, ought to try and make that happen.