NBA Power Rankings: Where Denver Nuggets stack up in strong Western Conference

Most of the major offseason moves have been made, making it a good time to look at the NBA hierarchy heading into next season.

Here are the Denver Gazette’s power rankings following free agency:

1. Boston Celtics

The Celtics benefitted from some injury luck but were deserving champions last season. All they’ve done this offseason is make sure the core isn’t going anywhere soon. Boston inked extensions with Olympians Jayson Tatum and Derrick White before the duo headed to France. Kristaps Porzingis’s health is the only real question the Celtics will have to answer heading into next season. Boston doesn’t appear to be bothered by the second-apron penalties, with good reason. The Celtics have the NBA’s best roster.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder entered the offseason with arguably the Association’s best young core with plenty of cash to spend. Sam Presti’s front office used a good chunk of that dough on Isaiah Hartenstein after the center’s breakout second half of the season with the Knicks. Hartenstein, who briefly backed up Nikola Jokic a few seasons ago, should make life easier for Chet Holmgren ahead of his second season, while Alex Caruso’s addition bolsters an already stingy defensive backcourt. Holmgren, Most Valuable Player candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have the complimentary pieces to make the Thunder the team to beat in the Western Conference.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

Tim Connelly’s Timberwolves are another team willing to operate in the second apron to retain a contending roster. Karl-Anthony Towns ($49.2 million), Rudy Gobert ($43.8 million) and Anthony Edwards ($42.2 million) will occupy a majority of the team’s budget for as long as they’re in Minnesota. Knowing the complicated future ahead, Connelly’s front office traded into the top 10 to draft Rob Dillingham, likely Minnesota’s point guard of the future as Mike Conley nears his 37th birthday, on a rookie deal for the foreseeable future. Minnesota added veteran wing Joe Ingles, drafted Terrance Shannon later in the first round and managed to retain key pieces like Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, making Minnesota a top contender to reach next season’s Finals.

4. Denver Nuggets

For all the stressing about another significant offseason subtraction, this year being Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure for Orlando, the Nuggets retained five of their top six players from a team that led the Timberwolves by 20 early in the third quarter of the decisive Game 7. Denver’s tough offseason continued when first-round pick DaRon Holmes II tore his right Achilles tendon in the Nuggets’ first Summer League game, but progression from Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther paired with contributions from Dario Saric and Russell Westbrook puts Denver in a pretty good spot.

5. New York Knicks

There’s only one real question facing the Knicks. Tom Thibodeau’s squad is set at the guard and forward positions and improved that core by trading for Mikal Bridges. Harternstein’s departure leaves some uncertainty inside. Mitchell Robinson needs to stay healthy after playing fewer than 60 games in three of the last four seasons for the Knicks to challenge the Celtics atop the East.

6. Philadelphia 76ers

Paul George looks like a perfect addition around Tyrese Maxy and Joel Embiid, and the 76ers round out the top tier of contenders thanks to a smart offseason. Philadelphia filled out its rotation with some established backups by retaining Kyle Lowry and adding Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond in free agency. It might take a month of two for all the new pieces to establish chemistry, but this looks like Philadelphia’s best chance to get out of the second round for the first time of the Embiid era.

7. Dallas Mavericks

Trading for Klay Thompson was the big move after the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals. It’s an obvious offensive fit, as Kyrie Irving and Luca Doncic will supply a steady source of open 3s for an all-time shooter, but it detracts from the improved defense that was so important in the postseason run.

8. Milwaukee Bucks

A little stability could go a long way in Milwaukee. Year 1 of the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo partnership was disrupted by a midseason coaching change and ended thanks to Antetokounmpo’s season-ending calf strain. A couple of shrewd free-agency signings in Gary Trent Jr. and Delon Wright should have immediate impacts and put the Bucks in position to have home-court advantage for at least one playoff series.

9. Phoenix Suns

The Point Book experiment ended with disappointing results after one season. Minnesota swept the Suns out of the first round, and Phoenix responded by signing a couple of true point guards to make life easier on Devin Booker. For all that free agent additions Tyus Jones and Monte Morris lack defensively, they’re selfless and efficient distributors capable of spreading the ball to Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

10. Memphis Grizzlies

Finishing with the West’s second-best record in 2023 feels like forever ago, but the Grizzlies looked prime to jump right back into the playoff picture with a healthy Ja Morant after the dynamic star needed season-ending shoulder surgery nine games into last season. Without Morant, the Grizzlies were destined for the lottery where they landed 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, one of the favorites to win Rookie of the Year.

11. Indiana Pacers

As much as Tyrese Haliburton’s hamstring injury made the rest of the Eastern Conference Finals a formality, it did give Andrew Nembhard some incredibly valuable experience. That will payoff in a big way this season, even if a return to the Finals looks unlikely.

12. Sacramento Kings

Mike Brown’s squad was among the big winners this offseason, making sure Malik Monk didn’t go anywhere before trading for DeMar DeRozan. Sacramento should be aiming for a top-six seed.

13. Orlando Magic

One of last season’s biggest surprises signed Caldwell-Pope away from Denver, making sure their young trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs were surrounded by a little more experience now that they have the rest of the Association’s attention.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland addressed one big question, inking Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension this offseason. The Cavaliers still have to figure out how sustainable a backcourt partner Darius Garland is alongside Mitchell in Kenny Atkinson’s first year as coach.

15. Los Angeles Lakers

Watching the Olympics might make it seem like LeBron James and Anthony Davis have a lot more left in the tank, but the Games are a sprint compared to the marathon NBA season. The United States leaning heavily on James, 39, and Davis, 31, in Paris could actually be a negative for the Lakers.

16. New Orleans Pelicans

It’s going to be another Pelicans season predicated on Zion Williamson’s availability. The good news was Williamson played a career-high 70 regular-season games last season, but the injury troubles popped up in the play-in rounds and forced him to watch as Oklahoma City swept New Orleans in the first round.

17. San Antonio Spurs

As long as Chris Paul is healthy, life is going to get a lot easier for Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio eased the French phenom into NBA life last season, but he showed what’s to come in the second half of the year. The play-in should be in play for the Spurs.

18. Los Angeles Clippers

Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn are nice additions, but they’re not nearly enough to replace George’s impact. After finishing fourth in the West and losing in the first round last year, it’s hard to see the Clippers taking a step forward this season.

19. Miami Heat

There could be drama on the Miami horizon. Jimmy Butler has stated he wants to end his career in Miami, but the Heat haven’t rushed to offer his desired contract. If Butler’s not content, things are going to get messy.

20. Houston Rockets

There are almost too many young, potential starters around Fred VanVleet in Houston. This season should be about identifying who the franchise is building around in future years. A top-10 finish and an opportunity for Houston’s leadership to get a look at the future in a postseason setting should be the aim.

21. Toronto Raptors

Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett is a sneaky fun young trio. Quickley and Barrett played the best ball of their career after arriving in Toronto in the middle of last season. If that continues with Barnes back from injury, Toronto has something to build around.

22. Golden State Warriors

If the 10th-place finish last season didn’t feel like the end of an era, the Thompson departure did the job. Adding Buddy Hield to the same role makes sense but doesn’t move the needle enough to make much of a difference.

23. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta’s hardly in a better spot heading into the season despite winning the lottery and trading Dejounte Murray to New Orleans. Another test of their lottery luck looks like the best path forward, given the high-end talent expected to be at the top of next year’s draft.

24. Chicago Bulls

The returns for Caruso and DeRozan did little to inspire. Maybe the Bulls can get better deals for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic to start a ground-up rebuild that looks inevitable.

25. Portland Trail Blazers

There’s enough talent for Chauncey Billups to start putting the Trail Blazers on the right path, especially if Scoot Henderson looks better in his second year and Donovan Clingan makes an impact as a rookie. Shaedon Sharpe is a favorite candidate for a break-out season.

26. Utah Jazz

The last two draft classes provide reason for optimism, but the timeline doesn’t look like it will work with Lauri Markkanen’s. As much as Utah wants to hold onto the star forward, its best bet is to benefit from a bidding war.

27. Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball playing in fewer than 40 games in each of the last two seasons has made it hard to judge Charlotte’s rebuilding process. Brandon Miller looks like a contributor and would benefit by playing alongside a guard like Ball more often.

28. Detroit Pistons

Despite five straight top-10 draft picks, Cade Cunningham is the only one who can be considered a building block in Detroit. It’s looking like the Pistons will extend that streak to six.

29. Washington Wizards

If Washington ends this season with a future star or two between Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr or Bub Carrington, it’s a win. Then, it’s right back to the top of the draft.

30. Brooklyn Nets

Winning more than 20 games is a bad idea for Brooklyn. Fortunately, they have a tank-friendly roster and the rights to four first-round picks in next year’s draft to ease the pain.