Northwest Division: Offseason recap and a look ahead to the 2026-27 season

Northwest Division

Nuggets

|

Timberwolves

Thunder

Trail Blazers

Jazz

The deepest division in the NBA? Appears so, with the Timberwolves adding LaMelo Ball and solving a long-standing point guard crisis and perhaps giving Oklahoma City and Denver, neither of whom made major additions, reason for concern.

Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray haven’t reached the Western Conference Finals since 2023, when they won the NBA championship.

Aaron Gordon played only 36 games, and Nikola Jokić missed nearly a month, but the Nuggets managed a 54-28 record anyway, ultimately losing in the first round of the postseason.

Offseason moves

Additions

: F Marvin Bagley III, G Bruce Brown, F Trevon Brazile, F Alpha Diallo, F Bryce Hopkins

Subtractions

: G Tim Hardaway Jr., G Jalen Pickett, C Jonas Valančiūnas, G Peyton Watson

2026-27 season outlook

The goal for the Nuggets remains the same once again — to maximize the remaining MVP-level years of Jokić. This puts them in a similar situation with Stephen Curry and the Warriors, and until this summer, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

Denver seems better situated than those examples, if only because Jokić still has Murray and, provided he can finally shake the injury bug, Gordon. Those three are still poised to secure a 50-win season for the Nuggets.

Any upward trend will rest with the remaining cast, which won’t include Watson, who was traded mainly for financial reasons.

It’s up to DeRozan

, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun and Bagley to supply the necessary pop in a tough West.

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Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves hope the addition of LaMelo Ball will take them to the next level.

The Timberwolves’ two-year streak of reaching the Western Conference Finals ended, as they lost in the second round of the playoffs despite another elite effort from Anthony Edwards and a 49-33 regular-season record.

Offseason Moves

: G LaMelo Ball, G Isaiah Evans, F Jonathan Kuminga, F Trey Lyles, F Cody Williams

: F Kyle Anderson, G Mike Conley, F Joe Ingles, F Julian Phillips, F Julius Randle, C Naz Reid

Edwards never had the luxury of playing next to a top-flight point guard in Minnesota until now.

Ball will be a refreshing

and much-needed backcourt partner for Edwards, who has had to handle playmaking responsibilities in addition to scoring.

LaMelo will make his basketball life so much easier. LaMelo is superb at surveying the floor and spotting teammates. He can be reckless, but just the same, he has never had the luxury of playing next to an MVP contender until now.

So, the two will help each other and, in the process, help the Wolves, who might have the best team and definitely the most athletic in Edwards’ time, featuring those two plus Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rudy Gobert.

Oklahoma City Thunder

After a season hampered by numerous injuries, Jalen Williams will look to get off to a hot start during the 2026-27 campaign.

A repeat MVP performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped OKC to an NBA-best 64-18 record and a Western Conference Finals appearance.

: C Aday Mara, G Otega Oweh, G Bennett Stirtz

: C Branden Carlson, G Lu Dort, G Isaiah Joe, G Aaron Wiggins

Jalen Williams played only 33 games, and the Thunder lost to the Spurs in a Game 7 at home. That pretty much captures what went wrong for OKC last season in its attempt to win back-to-back titles.

Once again, though, the Thunder seem ready for another strong run, even with an offseason marked by key departures from their championship team, primarily for salary cap reasons.

The

most vivid is Dort

, their defensive ace, but also

Joe

and

Wiggins

, a pair of very dependable guards who made it possible for Shai to conserve himself for the long run and stay fresh for the playoffs.

That said, one of the greatest advantages for OKC is depth, so it’s just a matter of others — Ajay Mitchell and especially Jared McCain — filling those roles.

Along with a healthy Williams and Chet Holmgren, who was All-NBA last season, OKC’s bar will remain raised.

Portland Trail Blazers

Deni Avdija posted career-highs in several statistical categories this past season.

Energized by a star turn from Deni Avdija, the Trail Blazers emerged as a surprise team and found themselves in the playoffs. They finished with a 42-40 record and lost in the first round.

: C Branden Carlson, G Ja Morant, C Micah Potter, F Jeremy Sochan

: F Jerami Grant, F Kris Murray, G Matisse Thybulle, G Blake Wesley

Micah Nori, a

first-time head coach,

arrives when the Blazers seem poised to improve upon last season’s finish. That’s because they’ll welcome a pair of All-Star guards — one with a rich previous history with the franchise.

Damian Lillard,

who missed all of last season

while recovering from injury, is widely regarded as one of the three greatest players in franchise history along with Bill Walton and Clyde Drexler. How he fits with those three is less important than how he fits with Morant, who looks to re-polish his own career after spending all of it in Memphis.

Although Shaedon Sharpe is mending from a knee injury, having the likes of Dame, Morant, Deni, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan means Nori will start with a solid nucleus and a chance for a playoff return.

Utah Jazz

No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson will bring a big scoring threat to a poised Jazz team.

The Jazz placed emphasis on developing youth for the future while coping with the growing pains. Utah finished 22-60 and did not qualify for the postseason.

: G Josh Green, C Jaxson Hayes, G Josh Okogie, G Darryn Peterson

: G Hayden Gray, C Walker Kessler, G John Konchar, F Kevin Love, G Bez Mbeng, F Cody Williams

This franchise has never known the luxury of owning the No. 1 overall draft choice. There are some draft nerds who suspect the Jazz, choosing at No. 2 overall, wound up with No. 1 overall quality anyway. Peterson brings shooting from deep, mid-range and at the rim. If that translates to the NBA, then the Jazz have finally found their star after sifting through dozens of draft picks here in the sobering wake of the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era.

However, the Jazz also lost out on a player they spent years developing — with Kessler, their now-former seven-foot center with supreme defensive instincts and soft hands, being lost to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade.

For additional big man insurance,

Utah got Jaxson Hayes

, who is just 26, and Jusuf Nurkić. Clearly, though, it’s up to Peterson, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey to give Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen the necessary support for improvement.

***

Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at

spowell@nba.com

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