“The formula is there, I think we just have to figure it out and adapt” – Cameron Johnson believes the Nuggets are a legit contender originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When the Denver Nuggets‘ series against the Oklahoma City Thunder wrapped after seven intense games, Nuggets fans were left with more questions than answers. For the second year in a row, the team exited in the second round after seven games, far from the standard Nikola Jokic and company are aiming for.
Advertisement
Suffocated by large contracts for Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Jokic, the Nuggets didn’t have much room to operate. But newly-appointed GM duo Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace made the most of it in their rookie offseason.
MPJ was traded for Cameron Johnson, freeing up nearly $17 million in cap space. That move allowed Denver to secure deals for Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr., while championship team member Bruce Brown had already rejoined the squad earlier in the offseason.
Johnson and Hardaway Jr. recently joined the Old Man and The Three podcast to talk about the new-look Nuggets.
“Like Tim said, the formula is there. I think we just have to figure it out and adapt, add whatever we can add, and keep it rolling,” Johnson admitted. “Obviously, we have to go in there and establish relationships with these guys because we’re gonna win together, lose together and everything in between. Just try to establish that team camaraderie as soon as possible, be ourselves and compete.”
Advertisement
Proven additions
It’s hard to predict exactly how the new pieces will fit into a completely new system, but one thing’s clear — Jokic is the type of player you can build any system around. Both Johnson and Hardaway have proven themselves in multiple teams and systems, and their playing styles should complement Joker’s. They’re elite catch-and-shoot threats from beyond the arc, something Denver badly lacked last season.
Former Boston Celtics player Brian Scalabrine also believes Denver is right back in the title conversation with Johnson in the mix because he makes half the money MPJ does and, in his eyes, is a better fit.
“All it cost them was a 2032 unprotected pick. If they’re still good in 2032 — which, who knows what 2032 looks like — they might pay the price for that. But in the meantime, that’s a championship roster right there,” Scal said.
Advertisement
Denver should be better than last year
The one concern for Nuggets fans? Johnson’s injury history. He’s never played more than 66 games in a season — and that was four years ago. Over the last three seasons, he’s missed 91 games. For comparison, MPJ, whose injury history was heavily scrutinized, missed just four games in the past two seasons, making him Denver’s most consistently available starter in that span.
If health is on their side, the Nuggets should be better than last year. Valanciunas is arguably the best backup center Jokic has ever had. They added two excellent shooters — something they desperately needed after ranking just 28th in the league last season with 12.0 made threes per game — and brought back veteran Brown, someone who knows this locker room inside and out.
Advertisement
Despite initial skepticism, Tenzer and Wallace seem to have pulled off a masterclass of an offseason — but the court will always be the only true measure of any front office move.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.