The Denver Nuggets have a big offseason ahead of them in order to retain their status atop the NBA. A great season finished off with an NBA Finals victory and the first NBA Finals MVP for Nikola Jokic, ending the 47 years without a championship for the franchise. When next season arrives, they will be public enemy No. 1 as the rest of the NBA will try to knock off the defending champions. As of right now, they will be going into the season as the most likely favorites given the cohesiveness of their current roster. They looked like far and away the best team in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, and they don't project to look that different next season. Teams around the NBA will have to adjust to them and make the necessary roster changes, but the Nuggets could easily compete for another NBA Finals with how they stand right now. However, there are still upgrades that they could make in NBA free agency, and there are a few targets in particular that they need to go after. With the 2023 NBA Draft over, the Nuggets need to target Bruce Brown, Jordan Clarkson and Gabe Vincent in NBA free agency.

As long as the Nuggets are trotting out Nikola Jokic, they will be NBA Finals contenders. He proved this season that he is the best player in the NBA and is virtually impossible to guard as a triple-double threat practically every night. Jokic will return next year most likely better, and the Nuggets are going to still have key guys like Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. No matter what the Nuggets opt to do in NBA free agency, the core will be retained and another quest for an NBA Finals ring will be made. With all of that being said, it would be prudent for the Nuggets to do what they can to upgrade and maintain the roster they currently have. This will start when NBA free agency begins on Friday, with the number one target being Bruce Brown, and then efforts at Jordan Clarkson and Gabe Vincent.

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Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown and Michael Malone both hinted at Brown returning during the Nuggets NBA Finals parade. However, Brown did officially opt out of his player option, so he will be a free agent and be able to entertain offers from other teams. Given how well he played in the NBA Playoffs, Brown is going to be a highly coveted player that will certainly pick-up a few lucrative offers. The Nuggets need to ensure they resign him and be willing to match whatever offer he receives, as he was a primary piece of their NBA Finals victory. Bruce Brown was the energy that the Nuggets needed to win multiple times throughout the postseason, showing that he is a key asset on a championship team.

What Bruce Brown brings to a team is something most players around the NBA simply don't possess the will to do; his energy and intensity is irreplaceable, and he plays consistently night in and night out. He is the exact type of role player that championship teams covet because he can be relied upon at all times to do whatever the team needs of him. If the Nuggets want to keep their current identity, retaining Bruce Brown will be a huge part of that. While he will pick up offers in NBA free agency, the Nuggets would be wise to target and hold onto Bruce Brown.

Gabe Vincent

The Nuggets got a first-hand look at Gabe Vincent in the NBA Finals and he displayed that he deserves quite the bag this summer. During NBA free agency, the Nuggets should try and target him to be Jamal Murray's backup. Murray does not have a true backup on the roster besides Ish Smith, and he barely got minutes in the postseason. Murray pretty much picked up all of the slack during the playoffs; the Nuggets should try and prioritize finding him a backup that can keep him off of his feet in the regular season and fresh for when the playoffs arrive. Gabe Vincent would be the perfect target to come in and backup Jamal Murray for the Nuggets.

The problem with a pursuit of Gabe Vincent will be the money that he covets. His play for the Heat might have warranted him a contract that is too expensive for the Nuggets to pursue, especially if they are trying to retain Bruce Brown. Still, he would be a very good add by a team that wants to compete for years to come, and he would be a perfect fit at the right price tag. When Gabe Vincent officially hits NBA free agency this Friday, the Nuggets should try and target him.

Jordan Clarkson

Jordan Clarkson has officially reached the point in his career where individual recognition and achievement is irrelevant. He is in his thirties and without a championship ring while definitely being a player that a championship team would covet. If the Nuggets could add him as Murray's backup off of the bench, the Nuggets bench would immediately become a lethal unit. Clarkson has been one of the better sixth men in the NBA over the last few years, including a Sixth Man of the Year award. Coming off of the bench for the Nuggets would be quite the upgrade for a Nuggets team that didn't dive very deep into their depth this season. While Gabe Vincent would be a great signing, Jordan Clarkson would be the ideal target for the Nuggets in NBA free agency.

Nevertheless, Clarkson is going to warrant a contract similar to what Vincent's will look like, most likely a more expensive one at that. Not to mention, Clarkson might be looking to go to a team that needs a starting point guard, as it is uncertain if he wants to continue to come off of the bench. The Nuggets best pitch for Clarkson would the championship odds for him and Denver if he signed with the NBA Finals champions. It would give Clarkson his best chance at securing a ring in his career, and it would cement the Nuggets as NBA Finals contenders again for next season. Although he might be too expensive, the Nuggets need to target Jordan Clarkson in NBA free agency.