May 19, 2024, was a night to forget for the Denver Nuggets. The Ball Arena crowd was filled with high hopes of watching their hero, Nikola Jokic, put on a masterclass that would send the team to the Western Conference Finals. But unfortunately, their dreams of winning back-to-back titles were crushed, with the Minnesota Timberwolves taking the lead in the latter half of the game. Anthony Edwards waved goodbye to the Denver fans that night, leaving them hoping for a better show in the 2024-25 season. However, as it stands, it’s going to be far from a glorious ride as the franchise is knocked down into “turmoil.”

It all began with Jamal Murray‘s misfiring in that Timberwolves series. That continued into the Olympics as the Canadian’s performance did not meet expectations. And now his contract situation is refusing to give respite to the fans. This was the main talking point of The Hoop Collective podcast.

Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon joined ESPN’s Brian Windhorst in the podcast to discuss the title favorites among the Western teams for the upcoming season. While talking about the Denver Nuggets’ chances, Windhorst pointed out that “They are on the watch list for team turmoil.” The Nuggets recently let go of their defensive ace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which would eventually weaken the back-court. To fill the KCP-sized void in the defense, the franchise added veteran guard, Russell Westbrook. The former OKC guard has a reputation for being a disruptive element. His Lakers stint reached an unsalvageable point when he was dubbed the “vampire” of the locker room by LA media.

Now at the Nuggets, there are already speculations about Jokic’s supposed mismatch with Westbrook. On the flip side, if Murray continues to show his declining form, then the team will entirely rely on Jokic like last season, potentially decreasing their chances of clinching the title. Despite all this, Windhorst is still not ready to write them off yet. “If Jamal Murray is not right, if the Russell Westbrook fit is problematic. I mean, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong for the Nuggets, but, again, they’ve got Nikola Jokic in his prime,” McMahon said. The Serbian has shown, last season, his capability of carrying the team to the playoffs. Amidst the existing chaos, one more problem was added to the pile by the franchise’s head coach.

Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets’ turmoil continue with head coach situation

There have been speculations of something brewing in the Denver hood. Some “rumblings” that involve the HC Michael Malone and the organization right before the new season. This could spell danger for Jokic and Co. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, “There are rumblings. Rumblings! That the coaching staff and front office, or at least the head coach and the front office, aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye in Denver. To a degree even unusual for the NBA.”

This came up right after the departure of KCP. It is suspected that Malone wasn’t happy with the franchise’s decision to part ways with the shooting guard. In his two seasons with the franchise, the 31-year-old became an integral part of the team, providing support to Jokic and Murray from the back-court.

Though Westbrook has been added to the roster, the 9-time All-Star will be seen coming off the bench. As of now, KCP’s position is said to be filled by Christian Braun. However, one thing will certainly remain the same; Nikola Jokic’s presence at both ends of the court, Nuggets’ only hope in this tumultuous situation.