Denver's playoff flop didn't cost Adelman, but roster, could be wide open

DENVER (AP) — The president and governor of the Denver Nuggets said Friday his faith in coach David Adelman remains strong despite the team's first-round flop in the playoffs but he indicated a roster overhaul could happen just as much as the team running it back largely intact. "I have full faith in Coach Adelman," Josh Kroenke said at a news conference at Ball Arena. "And I think he coached a hell of a season, all things considered." The Nuggets finished third in the Western Conference at 54-38, behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They took a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs but were bounced in six games by the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, who showed more toughness and tenacity. The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon (calf) for most of that series and Peyton Watson (hamstring) for all six games, continuing a season-long trend in which all their starters and most of their key reserves missed long stretches with injuries. Counting the playoffs, Nuggets players missed 245 combined games last season. While lamenting the injury epidemic, Kroenke said he liked the makeup of the team heading into the season and suggested he might just run it back with most of the same players in 2026-27. But he also indicated that he'd consider trading anyone on the roster other than superstar Nikola Jokic as he tries to capitalize on the three-time MVP's remaining tenure in Denver. Fellow All-Star Jamal Murray would draw the most interest and assets in return. Jokic is eligible this summer to sign a four-year maximum contract extension projected to be worth up to $290 million, and he has indicated he aims to sign the deal. The Nuggets went 10-6 during a stretch early in the season when Jokic was out, and Kroenke was asked if that helped solidify Adelman's job security. "I think that that's a real testament to what D.A. and the group did when Nikola went down," Kroenke said. "I think that's when D.A. and his staff really shined, some of the creative looks that they were doing with our lineups." A year ago, Adelman replaced Michael Malone late in the season and led the Nuggets to a first-round win over the Los Angeles Clippers before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in Round 2. Afterward, the Nuggets hired Ben Tenzer as executive vice president of basketball operations and Jonathan Wallace as executive vice president of player personnel, basically splitting the job of former GM Calvin Booth, who was fired along with Malone. Tenzer and Wallace dealt Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and added much-needed depth, notably with the additions of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. Kroenke complimented his lieutenants "for pressing a lot of the right buttons last summer," and suggested that if the team had stayed healthy, "this could be a 60- to 65-win team." "But we never got a chance to fully show it. And that's why I say everything has to be on the table, including running it back. Because I really do believe in the group of people that were assembled in there this year," Kroenke said. A big factor is finances. The Nuggets will face significant financial pressure heading into next season as their starting lineup as it stands tops $184 million in salary, including extensions for Christian Braun and Gordon that kick in next season. Braun had an injury-filled season and didn't live up to his big extension he signed last offseason, but that deal complicates Denver's hopes of re-signing Peyton Watson, who could command $20 million or more annually. "Peyton had a great year," Tenzer said. "He obviously grew a lot. I said it at the beginning of the season, we hope Peyton's a Nugget for a very long time, he's been great for us." The Nuggets also hope Gordon can get healthy. He's been hurt each of the last two years in the playoffs, and that in turn affects the game of All-Stars Jokic and Murray. "We have to all look in the mirror and say, 'A.G., how can we help you?'" Kroenke said. "Because when he's healthy, we all look better, you know, from myself on down to our training staff and so, you know, A.G., is a wonderful person like I said. We're gonna have to have some challenging conversations about how we can all get better." ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA