run it – After the Denver Nuggets’ disappointing first-round playoff exit and a season shaped by injuries, NBA champion Paul Pierce backed Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke’s idea of keeping the core intact. Pierce argued Denver didn’t get a fair chance because key player
Denver’s offseason debate sounded like it was already in motion—when Paul Pierce put a simple directive on the table: run it back.
Pierce. the NBA legend and three-time champion. spoke in favor of keeping the Nuggets’ core intact after a 2025-26 season that finished with a 54-28 record and a third-place finish in the Western Conference. Denver still exited in the first round, and the pressure on the team has been building. The Nuggets have also failed to advance to the Western Conference Finals for three straight years. an outcome Pierce said doesn’t fully reflect what this group could have done.
Pierce pointed directly to injuries and availability, arguing the roster never got a fair shot. He said Nikola Jokic struggled after a month-long injury absence, and that once the playoffs arrived, the Nuggets were missing Peyton Watson and dealing with Aaron Gordon not being fully available.
“If I’m the general manager of the Denver Nuggets. I think I would evaluate them when the season comes because they missed some key pieces. ” Pierce said on a live episode of No Fouls Given and Playmaker. “Aaron Gordon was dealing with injuries. Peyton Watson didn’t play. … So I’ll play it out again. Run it back. I have the best player in the world. I have great role players. … But I would not make any moves if I was Denver.”.
That stance echoes what Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke said earlier in the offseason planning cycle. Kroenke admitted that “everything has to be on the table, including running it back” as Denver evaluates what comes next. The notion—keep options open, then likely return to the same core—seems to be taking hold inside the conversation.
Pierce suggested the injuries were the missing piece that kept Denver from reaching a higher ceiling. “I thought that if this group was healthy that this could be a 60-65 win team, but we never got a chance to fully show it,” he said.
And that’s where the disagreement started to sharpen.
Danny Green, a three-time NBA champion, responded to Pierce’s comments with a blunt take that roster changes are needed. “I’m making some moves,” Green said. “It’s not Jamal Murray. I think we keep those two guys as staples. but you use other guys around them to develop some type of defense. right?. … You need a defensive center. You need Peyton Watson healthy. Christian Braun, I think, will be better. … I love Aaron Gordon, but he’s just not available enough.”.
Green’s argument centers on the Nuggets’ defensive needs and how the team could address them in the same breath as keeping its key pieces. He said the Nuggets should consider moving on from Aaron Gordon or Cam Johnson to make room for younger players focused on improving defense.
Pierce and Green agree on one thing: Denver has to evaluate what it truly has. They just place their emphasis differently—Pierce leaning on injuries and the chance that a healthier version of the same roster could swing outcomes. Green pointing to what defense has failed to deliver when games mattered most.
With Denver’s defense described as far too poor to compete for a title. Green’s perspective fits the urgency many fans feel. Even with the injury concerns that shaped the season. the Nuggets still finished with limitations that can’t be explained away indefinitely. The core question now isn’t just whether Denver should “run it back.” It’s what “running it back” would actually mean—if defensive problems remain. the offseason decisions won’t stay theoretical.
Paul Pierce Denver Nuggets Josh Kroenke Nikola Jokic Jamal Murray Aaron Gordon Peyton Watson Christian Braun Cam Johnson Danny Green offseason NBA
Run it back like it’s Madden. Easy.
I mean injuries happen but they still lost first round again… like at some point you gotta change something right? Paul Pierce saying “best player in the world” doesn’t magically fix the bracket.
Not gonna lie I heard “Kroenke” and thought this was about the Rockies or something lol. But yeah if Jokic was hurt and Gordon was banged up then sure evaluate it next season. Still wild they haven’t made WCF in 3 years though, that part makes me nervous.
“Would not make any moves” sounds nice until you remember they keep getting embarrassed in the first round. If Aaron Gordon wasn’t fully available that’s on management too, like why are we acting surprised. Also Peyton Watson not playing… ok but shouldn’t that mean you plan better in the offseason? Paul Pierce always talks like he’s running the team, just tell me what the excuse is when they lose again.