Denver Nuggets Open Preseason Journey in San Diego as Defending Champs Prepare for Another Title Run with Renewed Roster Depth
The Denver Nuggets are set to tip off their 2025-26 campaign with a preseason opener against an as-yet-unnamed opponent on October 4, 2025, at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. While preseason games rarely carry significant weight in terms of standings or playoff implications, this one carries unusual intrigue. For the Nuggets, it’s not just the beginning of another season—it’s the unveiling of a retooled, refocused roster with championship ambitions, aiming to build upon a golden era that began with their historic 2023 NBA title.
When the Nuggets take the court in San Diego, fans will be watching more than just warm-up basketball. They’ll be looking for signs of chemistry, cohesion, and confirmation that Denver remains a juggernaut in a suddenly more volatile Western Conference. After an offseason that saw several roster changes and one massive headline involving Nikola Jokić’s contract status, this preseason contest serves as a symbolic reset point.
For head coach Michael Malone and his staff, the San Diego opener represents an opportunity to assess rotations, test new lineups, and integrate a handful of new additions into the team’s unique system. It will be the first chance to see how offseason acquisitions—such as Cam Johnson, Jonas Valančiūnas, Bruce Brown (in his return to Denver), and Tim Hardaway Jr.—mesh alongside franchise cornerstones like Jokić and Jamal Murray.
The selection of Pechanga Arena as the venue for this debut is also notable. Located in San Diego, a city without an NBA team but known for hosting high-level preseason and exhibition matchups, the arena offers a neutral setting with an eager fan base. The 14,600-seat facility is steeped in sports history, and for Denver, it provides a stage removed from the Mile High City, where players can focus on basketball fundamentals and team bonding before the regular season frenzy begins.
Denver fans are particularly excited about seeing how this retooled squad will look when put to the test. The decision to trade Michael Porter Jr. during the offseason was both bold and calculated. While Porter offered elite scoring and spacing, his $38.3 million salary loomed large, especially considering his inconsistency and defensive limitations. In his place, the Nuggets acquired four rotation-ready veterans whose combined salaries cost less than MPJ alone. The front office bet on depth and playoff reliability over high-variance talent—and preseason is the first step toward evaluating whether that bet will pay off.
Cam Johnson is expected to play a key role in replacing Porter’s minutes. A switchable forward with a pure shooting stroke and a strong understanding of team defense, Johnson brings positional versatility and a high basketball IQ. If he can find early chemistry with Jokić—a player whose game elevates the intelligence of those around him—he could prove to be an ideal complementary piece in both the starting lineup and crunch-time situations.
Jonas Valančiūnas, meanwhile, offers something the Nuggets haven’t had since Mason Plumlee: a bruising, legitimate backup center who can keep the offense functional and the rebounding battle even while Jokić rests. In previous seasons, Denver struggled mightily in the non-Jokić minutes, especially in the playoffs. Valančiūnas may not be flashy, but his consistency, toughness, and interior presence could be invaluable in those crucial second-quarter stretches where momentum often shifts.
Tim Hardaway Jr., another notable newcomer, will be counted on to provide instant offense off the bench. While his efficiency has waxed and waned throughout his career, he’s a proven scorer with playoff experience. If he accepts his role and catches fire from beyond the arc, he could quickly become a fan favorite—particularly on nights when Murray or Jokić sits.
But perhaps the most emotional return is that of Bruce Brown. One of the unsung heroes of the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run, Brown was a Swiss army knife on both ends of the court. His ability to guard multiple positions, finish in traffic, and push in transition made him a perfect fit alongside Denver’s stars. After one year away in Indiana, his return to the team was met with widespread approval from fans, players, and coaches alike. San Diego will mark his second Nuggets debut—and expectations are sky-high.
The other big storyline, of course, is Nikola Jokić himself. Following reports that he declined a max extension offer from the Nuggets this summer, speculation has run rampant about his long-term future. While no trade request has been made and no public rift has emerged, the quiet Serbian center now carries a new level of intrigue into every appearance he makes. The preseason opener in San Diego, then, isn’t just about physical preparation—it’s about sending a message, both to his team and the league, that he remains committed, locked in, and ready to dominate once again.
Watching how Jokić plays in this game—how engaged he is, how vocal, how invested—will be a barometer for the emotional temperature of the team. Despite his low-key demeanor, Jokić is the spiritual engine of the franchise. When he’s locked in, everyone else falls in line. His presence in San Diego will be under a microscope, not because anyone expects fireworks, but because every gesture, smile, and frown will be parsed for deeper meaning.
Jamal Murray, too, will look to build momentum in San Diego. After battling injuries in previous years and never quite finding the consistency he desired during the 2024 campaign, Murray enters the new season with a chip on his shoulder. He’s still the Nuggets’ most explosive scorer and clutch-time killer. If he can stay healthy and take a leap as a playmaker, Denver’s offense could become even more dynamic.
This preseason, however, won’t just be about the stars. Young players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson will get extended run, especially in the early games. Both have shown flashes of brilliance, and both will be expected to take on larger roles this season. San Diego is their first chance to stake a claim in the rotation and prove to the coaching staff that they deserve serious minutes once the games start counting.
There’s also a cultural angle to the San Diego game. NBA teams are increasingly choosing to hold part of their training camps and early preseason games away from home. The idea is simple: get players away from distractions, foster team bonding, and simulate the road-trip conditions of the regular season. For Denver, starting their preseason in a city like San Diego offers a chance to build camaraderie. Whether it’s team dinners, beach runs, or just time away from home, these moments often define a team’s chemistry before the grind of 82 games begins.
Pechanga Arena, long known for hosting the San Diego Gulls hockey team and various concerts, will be transformed into a temporary home for the Nuggets. Fans in the area are already buzzing about the opportunity to see Jokić and company up close. It’s a rare treat for a city that doesn’t have a professional basketball team, and the atmosphere is expected to be electric. For the Nuggets, it’s a chance to win over new fans and showcase the beauty of their unselfish, ball-movement-heavy style of play.
Preseason basketball is often dismissed as glorified scrimmage, but for the Nuggets this year, it means much more. It’s a checkpoint. A measuring stick. A way to test the new formula. After falling short in the 2024 playoffs and undergoing a significant philosophical shift in roster construction, this team is eager to prove that they’re still among the NBA’s elite—and maybe even better equipped for a title run than ever before.
Every rotation, every pass, every substitution in San Diego will be scrutinized. Not because the outcome matters, but because the process does. Can the new pieces gel? Will Jokić take charge? Can Malone unlock the depth that Denver has long needed? The answers won’t all come on October 4, but the questions will begin to take form.
So while fans in Denver wait for the regular season home opener, and while analysts around the league wait to see if the Nuggets can reassert their dominance, all eyes will first turn to San Diego. It may be 1,000 miles from Ball Arena, but for this version of the Nuggets, it could be where the next chapter of greatness begins.
