In 2023, the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship in franchise history in dominant fashion. Their 16-4 postseason record that year remains one of the best for any champion in the modern era. In the years since, the Nuggets have bled reliable role players. That was enough to push them to two consecutive heartbreaking second-round Game 7 losses. To put it lightly, the franchise was backed into a corner as all-time great Nikola Jokić dove headfirst into his prime.

As it turns out, after having arguably the best NBA free agency of anyone in the league, the Nuggets have finally wiggled themselves out of this jam. They have finally rebuilt a bona fide title contender with genuine star power and depth. They have finally given Jokić what he asked for: a real chance to lead his team to the promised land once again.

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The massive shift upward in the betting market on the Nuggets’ 2026 title chances reflects these sentiments as much. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is scared of Jokić’s Nuggets again:

It’s easy to see why people hovering in and around the NBA are respecting Jokić’s Nuggets as title-worthy once more. And no, it’s not just limited to them taking the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games despite a rash of injuries and a dangerously thin lineup.

That’s because the last time the Nuggets had this deep and versatile of a rotation on paper, they won it all. Full stop. Any time you give a transcendent talent like Jokić a quality, complementary supporting cast, no one should question his ability to reach the NBA’s talent summit.

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Let’s run it all down.

New starting small forward Cam Johnson is a more versatile player than his predecessor, Michael Porter Jr. He can shoot from deep, create his own shot off the dribble, and is more dependable on defense. Honestly, Johnson is a higher IQ basketball player in general. These kinds of intuitive players tend to thrive with Jokić, who is usually operating at least one or two steps ahead on the court. Johnson’s skillset will simply give Denver more much-needed optionality and wrinkles.

As the do-it-all Swiss Army Knife sixth man during Denver’s 2023 title run, Bruce Brown returns to run it all back. Between health and consistency issues, it’s been a rough couple of years for Brown since he (rightfully) cashed in on that first Denver championship. However, he likely remains a winning player who knows how to play off Jokić and the other key members of the Nuggets’ core, including Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun. Brown is the kind of plug-and-play role player who, just like he did in 2023, will wear many different hats in all sorts of Nuggets lineups.

Talk to anyone associated with Denver over the last decade, and they’ll tell you how much of a problem it’s been finding someone reliable to spell Jokić off the bench. In recent years, especially, it has not been uncommon for Jokić to build a double-digit lead, take his first rest, then come back facing a deficit. It’s this very mix that has led the Nuggets to stretch Jokić unnecessarily thin during the regular season, when they’d much rather prefer he conserve energy for the playoffs. This should no longer be an issue with the steady Jonas Valančiūnas in the fold. Because of his natural feel and old-school play style, Valančiūnas has long been one of the NBA’s more underrated and dependable centers.

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Now the guy they call “Big Val” gets the easy job of keeping mileage off Jokić’s odometer until April.

Throw in hopeful internal development from former first-round prospects Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, and rookie DaRon Holmes, as well as shooting insurance option Tim Hardaway Jr., and the Nuggets, to put it plainly, are cooking with gas.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed for Jokić or his Nuggets.

The Thunder figure to come back storming for a chance to repeat. After adding Kevin Durant, among others, the Houston Rockets will also be a force to be reckoned with. This is to say nothing of the daunting Western Conference overall, where no one ever gets a “night off” with supposed cupcake competition.

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But everyone should feel the same way about the Nuggets now. Their much-needed facelift has them sitting in the healthiest, strongest place they’ve been in years. On paper, they’re in a position to achieve something genuinely special. Betting against them and the best player in the world after what they just accomplished in free agency feels like the silliest prospect.

I certainly wouldn’t advise it.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nuggets’ free agency gives Nikola Jokic chance to win second NBA championship