Denver's Defense Has to Come From Within, Because Every Exit Is Closed
With the payroll pressed against the second apron and the picks mostly spoken for, the only defensive upgrade Denver can make this season is one it grows itself.
Denver won 54 games last season with the league's best offense and the 21st-ranked defense. The player who can change that ratio is already on the roster, and Trevon Brazile is the test.
What is the question?
Last season Denver went 54-28 with the No. 1 offense, the No. 21 defense and a net rating of 5.2, seventh in the league. The 3-2 start has followed the same pattern. The Warriors scored 134 in Denver. The Pelicans were held to 91. In Phoenix, Dillon Brooks made 9 of 12 shots and Collin Gillespie came off the bench for 16 points and 10 assists. So the question for the season is whether this group can defend well enough to get past Oklahoma City in May.
Why not buy a stopper?
Because Denver can't. The payroll is $219.1 million, above the $209.0 million first apron and just under the $221.7 million second apron. The five biggest contracts belong to the starting five: Jokic at $59.0 million, Murray at $50.1 million, Gordon at $33.7 million, Johnson at $23.1 million and Braun at $21.6 million. First-round picks in 2028, 2029 and 2030 are protected to Oklahoma City. The one outside move that has been reported went nowhere: the Bucks turned down a potential Kevin Porter Jr. trade with Denver.
The case for Brazile
Brazile is 23 and in his first season, the only young big Adelman has trusted late in games. In Phoenix he played the last five minutes with Jokic, Murray, Braun and Johnson, and Gordon came back only for the final possessions. He had a steal and a block in 19 minutes, and he scored 22 at the Clippers earlier this month. David Decker of Nugg Love has called him a defensive monster. If Denver's defense is going to improve, it will be through his length.
The case against, and the answer
Thursday also showed the cost. Brazile finished minus-7, the worst mark on the team, and the bench scored 12 of Denver's 127. The starting group of Gordon, Jokic, Murray, Johnson and Braun was plus-13.5 per 100 possessions in 2025-26, though in a small sample, and every minute Brazile plays takes one away from five players who already read each other. Even so, the answer is yes. Denver should keep giving Brazile closing minutes and live with the rough nights. The starting five is the offense, Brazile is the only defensive plan the cap allows, and there is no third option.
Can the Nuggets trade for defensive help this season?
They have very little room. The payroll is above the first apron and just under the $221.7 million second apron, and the Bucks turned down the one reported attempt, a potential Kevin Porter Jr. deal.
Is Trevon Brazile in the Nuggets' closing lineup?
He was in Phoenix. Adelman used him for the last five minutes with Jokic, Murray, Braun and Johnson, and Gordon replaced him only for the final possessions.
