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Last updated September 14, 2026

Denver Nuggets history · NBA regular season

The 25 Greatest Denver Nuggets of All Time

Nikola Jokić ranks No. 1 after producing 6,556.6 Franchise Value across 11 seasons in a Nuggets uniform. Alex English, Fat Lever, Dan Issel, and Michael Adams complete the top five. This ranking covers 1976–77 through 2025–26.

25 ranked players1976–77 through 2025–26 franchise coverage1,000 minimum minutesRegular season only
See the full top 25How the ranking works

The answer at a glance

The top five

Franchise Value estimates how many regular-season points above a replacement-level player someone produced for this franchise. It rewards both strong seasons and staying power.

  1. No. 1

    Nikola Jokić

    6,556.6Franchise Value

    11 seasons · 810 games
    22.2 PPG · 11.1 RPG · 7.5 APG

  2. No. 2

    Alex English

    3,228.2Franchise Value

    11 seasons · 837 games
    25.9 PPG · 5.6 RPG · 4.4 APG

  3. No. 3

    Fat Lever

    2,727.7Franchise Value

    6 seasons · 474 games
    17 PPG · 7.6 RPG · 7.5 APG

  4. No. 4

    Dan Issel

    2,165.4Franchise Value

    9 seasons · 718 games
    20.4 PPG · 7.9 RPG · 2.5 APG

  5. No. 5

    Michael Adams

    1,403.1Franchise Value

    4 seasons · 304 games
    18.2 PPG · 3.2 RPG · 7.2 APG

The full list

The full top 25

Every name links to a full career profile. The best-season rank is the player’s leaguewide Impact Rate rank for that season.

  1. 1

    Nikola Jokić

    6,556.6 value · 11 seasons · best: 2024–25

    6,556.6Franchise Value
    11 seasons2015–16 to 2025–26
    2024–25Impact Rate No. 1
    22.2 / 11.1 / 7.5PPG / RPG / APG
  2. 2

    Alex English

    3,228.2 value · 11 seasons · best: 1982–83

    3,228.2Franchise Value
    11 seasons1979–80 to 1989–90
    1982–83Impact Rate No. 6
    25.9 / 5.6 / 4.4PPG / RPG / APG
  3. 3

    Fat Lever

    2,727.7 value · 6 seasons · best: 1986–87

    2,727.7Franchise Value
    6 seasons1984–85 to 1989–90
    1986–87Impact Rate No. 4
    17 / 7.6 / 7.5PPG / RPG / APG
  4. 4

    Dan Issel

    2,165.4 value · 9 seasons · best: 1979–80

    2,165.4Franchise Value
    9 seasons1976–77 to 1984–85
    1979–80Impact Rate No. 9
    20.4 / 7.9 / 2.5PPG / RPG / APG
  5. 5

    Michael Adams

    1,403.1 value · 4 seasons · best: 1990–91

    1,403.1Franchise Value
    4 seasons1987–88 to 1990–91
    1990–91Impact Rate No. 7
    18.2 / 3.2 / 7.2PPG / RPG / APG
  6. 6

    Marcus Camby

    1,375.1 value · 6 seasons · best: 2007–08

    1,375.1Franchise Value
    6 seasons2002–03 to 2007–08
    2007–08Impact Rate No. 13
    10.1 / 11.1 / 2.5PPG / RPG / APG
  7. 7

    David Thompson

    1,360.9 value · 6 seasons · best: 1977–78

    1,360.9Franchise Value
    6 seasons1976–77 to 1981–82
    1977–78Impact Rate No. 6
    23.7 / 3.9 / 3.4PPG / RPG / APG
  8. 8

    Jamal Murray

    1,340.4 value · 9 seasons · best: 2025–26

    1,340.4Franchise Value
    9 seasons2016–17 to 2025–26
    2025–26Impact Rate No. 14
    18.9 / 3.8 / 5PPG / RPG / APG
  9. 9

    Carmelo Anthony

    1,291.5 value · 8 seasons · best: 2005–06

    1,291.5Franchise Value
    8 seasons2003–04 to 2010–11
    2005–06Impact Rate No. 34
    24.8 / 6.3 / 3.1PPG / RPG / APG
  10. 10

    Dikembe Mutombo

    1,171.3 value · 5 seasons · best: 1993–94

    1,171.3Franchise Value
    5 seasons1991–92 to 1995–96
    1993–94Impact Rate No. 25
    12.9 / 12.3 / 1.7PPG / RPG / APG
  11. 11

    Nenê

    1,121.3 value · 10 seasons · best: 2009–10

    1,121.3Franchise Value
    10 seasons2002–03 to 2011–12
    2009–10Impact Rate No. 29
    12.4 / 7 / 1.8PPG / RPG / APG
  12. 12

    T.R. Dunn

    943.4 value · 10 seasons · best: 1983–84

    943.4Franchise Value
    10 seasons1980–81 to 1990–91
    1983–84Impact Rate No. 59
    4.9 / 4.8 / 1.8PPG / RPG / APG
  13. 13

    Bobby Jones

    912.0 value · 2 seasons · best: 1976–77

    912.0Franchise Value
    2 seasons1976–77 to 1977–78
    1976–77Impact Rate No. 2
    14.8 / 8.4 / 3.3PPG / RPG / APG
  14. 14

    Ty Lawson

    904.3 value · 6 seasons · best: 2014–15

    904.3Franchise Value
    6 seasons2009–10 to 2014–15
    2014–15Impact Rate No. 55
    14.2 / 2.9 / 6.6PPG / RPG / APG
  15. 15

    Reggie Williams

    835.8 value · 6 seasons · best: 1991–92

    835.8Franchise Value
    6 seasons1990–91 to 1995–96
    1991–92Impact Rate No. 17
    14.2 / 4.6 / 2.9PPG / RPG / APG
  16. 16

    Andre Miller

    758.2 value · 7 seasons · best: 2003–04

    758.2Franchise Value
    7 seasons2003–04 to 2013–14
    2003–04Impact Rate No. 40
    12 / 3.8 / 6.7PPG / RPG / APG
  17. 17

    Kiki Vandeweghe

    750.7 value · 4 seasons · best: 1983–84

    750.7Franchise Value
    4 seasons1980–81 to 1983–84
    1983–84Impact Rate No. 8
    23.3 / 5.3 / 2.7PPG / RPG / APG
  18. 18

    Chauncey Billups

    658.6 value · 5 seasons · best: 2008–09

    658.6Franchise Value
    5 seasons1998–99 to 2010–11
    2008–09Impact Rate No. 29
    16.9 / 2.7 / 5.3PPG / RPG / APG
  19. 19

    Danilo Gallinari

    612.0 value · 6 seasons · best: 2015–16

    612.0Franchise Value
    6 seasons2010–11 to 2016–17
    2015–16Impact Rate No. 46
    16.2 / 4.8 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
  20. 20

    Will Barton

    590.7 value · 8 seasons · best: 2017–18

    590.7Franchise Value
    8 seasons2014–15 to 2021–22
    2017–18Impact Rate No. 95
    14 / 5 / 3.3PPG / RPG / APG
  21. 21

    J.R. Smith

    583.8 value · 5 seasons · best: 2008–09

    583.8Franchise Value
    5 seasons2006–07 to 2010–11
    2008–09Impact Rate No. 53
    13.7 / 3.1 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
  22. 22

    Kenneth Faried

    566.4 value · 7 seasons · best: 2013–14

    566.4Franchise Value
    7 seasons2011–12 to 2017–18
    2013–14Impact Rate No. 69
    11.4 / 8.2 / 1PPG / RPG / APG
  23. 23

    Calvin Natt

    561.6 value · 5 seasons · best: 1984–85

    561.6Franchise Value
    5 seasons1984–85 to 1988–89
    1984–85Impact Rate No. 15
    17.8 / 6.3 / 2.4PPG / RPG / APG
  24. 24

    Antonio McDyess

    555.6 value · 6 seasons · best: 2000–01

    555.6Franchise Value
    6 seasons1995–96 to 2001–02
    2000–01Impact Rate No. 39
    18.2 / 9 / 1.6PPG / RPG / APG
  25. 25

    Michael Porter Jr.

    554.9 value · 6 seasons · best: 2020–21

    554.9Franchise Value
    6 seasons2019–20 to 2024–25
    2020–21Impact Rate No. 37
    16.2 / 6.4 / 1.4PPG / RPG / APG

What separates the list

Peak and staying power

The main order uses total Franchise Value. These views show who supplied the biggest single seasons and who contributed across the most seasons.

Why No. 1

Why Nikola Jokić leads

Nikola Jokić produced 6,556.6 Franchise Value, 3,328.4 more than Alex English. His best team season was 2024–25, when he ranked No. 1 in leaguewide Impact Rate.

If you put more weight on playoff moments, championships, or awards, your order may differ. This list does not quietly fold those judgments into the number.

Most seasons among the top 25

Alex English · 11 seasons

Alex English logged 837 games and 29,893 regular-season minutes across 1979–80 to 1989–90.

Best individual seasons

  1. 1
    Nikola Jokić2024–25 · Impact Rate No. 1
    823.6
  2. 2
    Nikola Jokić2023–24 · Impact Rate No. 2
    820.7
  3. 3
    Nikola Jokić2021–22 · Impact Rate No. 1
    767.7
  4. 4
    Nikola Jokić2025–26 · Impact Rate No. 1
    732.4
  5. 5
    Nikola Jokić2022–23 · Impact Rate No. 1
    732.0

Franchise Value leaders by decade

  1. 1970s
    David ThompsonMost value in the decade
    1,205.2
  2. 1980s
    Alex EnglishMost value in the decade
    3,165.9
  3. 1990s
    Dikembe MutomboMost value in the decade
    1,171.3
  4. 2000s
    Marcus CambyMost value in the decade
    1,375.1
  5. 2010s
    Nikola JokićMost value in the decade
    1,999.3
  6. 2020s
    Nikola JokićMost value in the decade
    4,557.3

Just outside the list

Nos. 26–30

  1. No. 26Aaron Gordon544.9
  2. No. 27Nick Van Exel544.3
  3. No. 28Allen Iverson499.8
  4. No. 29Kenyon Martin490.3
  5. No. 30Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf481.3

Method and limits

What this ranking measures

This is a model ranking, not a claim that one number settles every argument about franchise greatness.

01

Count only team value

We add the player’s hussEyquation Season Value only while he belonged to this franchise. A player needs at least 1,000 franchise minutes to qualify.

02

Split traded seasons

When a player changed teams, his season value is divided by the minutes played at each stop. In 1950–51, when minutes were not recorded, games are used instead.

03

Use one clear order

Higher total Franchise Value ranks first. Ties are broken by the player’s best leaguewide Impact Rate rank, then franchise minutes. Peak seasons and per-game stats are context, not hidden inputs.

04

Know what is missing

The model covers NBA regular seasons from 1950–51 onward. Playoffs, championships, awards, cultural importance, and ABA seasons are not inputs.

Sources and historical estimates: Team stints and conventional totals come from Basketball Reference; Franchise Value comes from the hussEyquation model. The site reconstructs missing box-score inputs through 1972–73. Exact Raw BPM inputs begin in 1973–74. In a traded season, the model has one combined season impact estimate; only the value allocation is split by team workload. Data were checked for this release on September 14, 2026. Read the full methodology.

Quick answers

Denver Nuggets ranking FAQ

Who is the greatest Denver Nuggets player of all time?

Within this NBA regular-season ranking, which begins in 1976–77, Nikola Jokić ranks first with 6,556.6 Franchise Value produced for this franchise.

Who had the best single season in this ranking?

Nikola Jokić has the highest team-season value in this dataset: 823.6 in 2024–25. He ranked No. 1 in leaguewide Impact Rate that season.

How are the top 25 ranked?

The order is total regular-season Franchise Value, which adds up value above replacement produced for this franchise. More value ranks higher.

Which earlier team names and locations are included?

Covers Denver’s NBA seasons beginning in 1976–77; ABA seasons are outside this ranking.

Keep exploring

Greatest players for every NBA team

Move from this franchise to any of the other 29 current NBA teams, or compare these players with the leaguewide career ranking.

Leaguewide all-time rankingsCurrent NBA team power rankingsNikola Jokić’s full career profile