NUGGETS MVP: Nikola Jokic
Decided to get the no-brainer part of the team awards out of the way right off the top. Whatever the Nuggets do of significance during the season will be powered by the best player in the league, Nikola Jokic.
This season, he’ll become the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, passing Russell Westbrook (209) to do it. Jokic (198) needs 12 to break the record.
NUGGETS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jamal Murray
Coming off of his best overall NBA season, Aaron Gordon said it best about his teammate during Media Day when he called Jamal Murray a “master of his craft.”
And how.
Murray flirted with a 50-40-90 season in 2025-26, lighting up the league to the tune of 25.4 points and 7.1 assists. He ranked 16th in the NBA in scoring, and in the run-up to this year’s regular season he looks ready for more.
Murray shot career-highs from the field (48.3 percent) and the 3-point line (43.5 percent) last season, and continues to be one of the most underrated passers in the league. He’s perfectly set up for another big, All-NBA level campaign.
NUGGETS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Aaron Gordon
It was no coincidence that the Nuggets’ defense suffered when Aaron Gordon was not able to play. He continues to be one of the better defenders in the league, whether that is keeping up with guards or drawing the assignment of slowing down bigger players like Victor Wembanyama.
Gordon can guard any position on the court, and opponents find it extremely difficult to score on him. Opposing players only shot 41.9 percent against him last season, by far the best mark on the team of those in the regular rotation. If the Nuggets are to improve on defense, having Gordon on the court consistently will be the biggest reason why.
NUGGETS MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Spencer Jones
Originally I had Julian Strawther in this spot, but the knee injury that will keep him out until December is a big setback. So I’m going with Spencer Jones. He did not play in the preseason due to a hamstring injury, but reports out of Nuggets camp as he’s rehabbed is he looks as athletic as ever.
You know you’re getting hair-on-fire effort from Jones at all times, and last season he showed some offensive pop as well. I expect he’ll grow on the offensive end while not sacrificing the defense that makes him so valuable.
NUGGETS SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: DeMar DeRozan
The second-unit is DeRozan’s for the taking. The Nuggets will run everything through him when the starters are off the court. He’s got the ultimate green light, and, as he has shown throughout his career, few in the history of the league can score it as well as he can.
Should DeRozan put together a really good season, he should squarely be in the mix for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year honor.
NUGGETS COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Aaron Gordon
Last season, we saw AG in street clothes far more than anyone wanted. He played just 36 games and left a big hole in both the Nuggets’ offensive and defensive schemes. But he is back and he is healthy, and a lot of work was done in the offseason to find best practices that will aid him in getting through this season.
I think he’ll play in at least 65 games, and because of that, will put together a stellar campaign that will put the Nuggets in the West’s top four teams going into the playoffs.