Opinion Writers Specializing in Athletics

Get ready for a shakeup, Nuggets fans – this ain't your grandpa's front office anymore. Here we are, just days before the NBA draft, and the Denver Nuggets are still without a permanent general manager. It's been nearly two months since interim GM Ben Tenzer took over, and the team's front office is looking more like a revolving door than a stable powerhouse.

Now, we know Josh Kroenke doesn't want to hear it, but if he keeps us waiting on the porch for another minute with Nikola Jokic's franchise, we ain't gonna be happy campers. And we ain't talking about cleanser here, we're talking about a Jokic-level GM to match our MVP.

ESPN analyst Bob Myers, the architect of a dynasty at Golden State? Sign him up, stat. Miami's Andy Elisburg, Monte McNair, David Griffin? They'd all be a refreshing change of pace from Tenzer. Heck, even a Tim Connelly reunion would be a shot in the arm right about now.

But let's not forget about Tommy Balcetis, the assistant GM who recently got the ol' heave-ho. Yikes, dude was a longtime front office member and played a significant role in scouting and analytics. No wonder the team's struggled to find their footing since his departure.

So what's the hold up? We've got the NBA draft next week, free agency shortly thereafter. Teams can start talking to free agents in a week. We're in the danger zone here, folks, and the 2023 NBA champs ain't got a full-time president of basketball ops, full-time GM, or assistant GM to get 'er done.

Folks, we're treading on thin ice. "It is a little bit unusual," former Nuggets GM and president Pete Babcock – a guy who spent four decades in the NBA – told us earlier this week. And he ain't kidding. This ain't typical at all.

The standard operating procedure is to have someone in place before the draft, so they can help shape the team and make critical decisions. But here we are, in the thick of things, still waiting on the Kroenkes to make a move.

"On the surface, I would say it's a highly attractive job," Babcock said of the GM vacancy in Denver. "Because, first and foremost, your chance of winning goes up dramatically when you have one of the best players in the world on your team. So anytime you can align yourself with a player like Jokic, that's a really positive place to start."

Darn straight. And we bet you're thinking, "The Nuggets don't have a pick in the 2025 draft. What's the rush?"

You do know teams can trade more than just draft picks, right? The Nuggets demonstrated that last year when they swapped Will Barton and Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, and when the Thunder acquired Alex Caruso.

So come on, Josh, give us a new GM already. This team needs a bench, and Jokic needs somebody else to carry the load for a few minutes every now and then. "If they say, 'You can try to build around one of the best players in the world with constraints,' or, 'You can try to build a team without the best player in the world,' I think you'd take the best player in the world," Babcock said. "I don't know that it changes the pressure at all. It's just that you'd certainly rather start with that as your baseline and do what you can to complement Jokic and build around him."

In other words, we ain't messing around here. We want a championship contender, and we want it now. The city of Denver deserves it, Jokic deserves it, and the Nuggets organization owes it to the fans to get their act together. So let's get this show on the road, shall we?

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The Denver Nuggets' upcoming sports season may bring a shift in power, as the NBA draft is approaching and the team is without a permanent general manager, leading to a revolving door mentality in the front office.
Given the team's MVP player, Nikola Jokic, ESPN analyst Bob Myers, Miami's Andy Elisburg, Monte McNair, David Griffin, or even a Tim Connelly reunion could be a valuable addition to the Nuggets' front office, helping to secure a championship-contending team.
With teams able to trade more than just draft picks, the Nuggets' decision to fill the GM position before the upcoming draft becomes crucial, as they aim to build a team around Jokic for a potential NBA championship.