Denver Nuggets: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

1. Establishing a winning culture

Before the 2017-18 season began the Nuggets went out and signed former Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap to a three-year, $90 million deal. Signing Millsap signaled that the Denver Nuggets brass was not afraid to spend money in order to win.

This offseason they elected to just re-sign their own players, meaning they were happy with what this current team was able to produce. In the 2018 NBA Draft, they selected Michael Porter Jr. 14th overall, which gives them a player with unimaginable upside if he can return healthy.

The Nuggets are on pace to win at least 50 games next season should the entire roster be healthy for the long run. If Isaiah Thomas shows that he is capable of putting up All-Star numbers again, the Nuggets can opt to re-sign him to a big money contract. If not, at least he’ll be a serviceable sixth man as the team tries to return to the postseason.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Keeping this core together shows that the front office is loyal to these players and is willing to reward their success. Watch out for the Nuggets as they are on a warpath to make a name for themselves in a stacked Western Conference.