Denver, CO
Nuggets open as giant favorite to beat Lakers in NBA Playoffs
The biggest favorite to win in the first round of the NBA Playoffs are the Denver Nuggets, who will take on the Los Angeles Lakers for a second straight season.
Last year the two West foes met in the Western Conference Finals, where the Nuggets swept the Lakers in four games. That quick work is part of a larger eight-game winning streak against the Lakers for the Nuggets. The dominance has led to some in Denver to call the Nuggets the Lakers daddies which in turn brought some ire from the Lakers. That didn’t translate to the court for Los Angeles, who lost on Opening Night, Kobe’s Statue Day and a third time against Denver in SoCal this season.
This will be just the second trip for the Lakers to Denver since Game 2 of the West Finals last year. They never got back to Colorado because of the sweep and they only came to the Mile High City on ring night this season.
Whatever the reason is, bookmakers are bullish on the Nuggets, opening the series odds at -450 for Denver to win and +350 for Los Angeles. Those have since moved to -375 for the Nuggets and +300 for the Lakers, signaling some money has come in on LeBron James squad. As have some takes, with Skip Bayless being the first of likely many to pick against the reigning champion Nuggets. Still, the team looking to go back-to-back is a giant favorite to win the West outright, with the odds holding at +135 despite the opponent not being known.
It’s no shock that the sharps are all over the Nuggets like this after they showed very little championship hangover this year and have proven to rise up when needed repetitively. Some fan money will probably keep coming on the Lakers, just like the media takes, but odds are Michael Malone will just use that as motivation as he did last year.
The Lakers and Nuggets are very similar teams from last season. James and Anthony Davis are LA’s starring duo, and they have fallen over and over to Jokic and Murray. The Lakers won four more games this season than last and will benefit from more time off between games in the first round than the bunched-up nature of the late stages of the postseason. Los Angeles also added Gabe Vincent to their team, who Denver saw playing for the Heat in the NBA Finals a year ago. Vincent missed most of the season, so they picked up former Colorado Buffaloes star Spencer Dinwiddie late in the year. D’Angelo Russell, who struggled in last year’s series, has been playing good ball and hit the biggest shot of Tuesday’s game. Davis played a career-high 76 games and was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But it all comes back to James, in his 21st season and seeking a fifth championship. This year James has shot a career-high from three and stayed mostly healthy though he’s dealing with an ankle lump currently.
The Nuggets also won four more games in this year’s tougher Western Conference. The 57-win team earned the No. 2 seed because of the wild final weekend of the season. Had Denver not lost to the bottom-feeding Spurs, the Nuggets would’ve set a franchise record for wins in an NBA season and would be facing the winner of Pels vs. Kings/Warriors. But fate put the Nuggets against the Lakers again.
The two teams’ matchups have drawn a ton of media attention from before last year’s playoffs, through the series and after it. James and Davis said they had conversations about the Nuggets in the offseason and then the two teams faced off for Game 1 of the regular season when Denver raised the championship banner and beat the visitors. The series will certainly draw eyeballs for on and off-the-court reasons but it could be James’ final pass of the baton to Jokic, after he sore-losered threatened retirement after last year’s sweep.
The two franchises have met in the postseason eight times before now with the Nuggets only win coming last year to advance to the NBA Finals. This is the third run-in between James and Jokic in the playoffs, the other came in the bubble’s conference finals, and this year’s is the rubber match.
The series begins on Saturday and the full schedule for it can be found here.
Denver, CO
Denver weather: Warming trend continues this weekend and into next week
DENVER (KDVR) — More sunny and hot conditions are in Denver’s weather forecast for the rest of the weekend and into next week.
Denver weather tonight: Mainly clear
Saturday night will stay mainly clear and warm. Low temperatures will fall to the mid 60s, which is about 5 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year.
Denver weather tomorrow: Sunny, hot
Sunday will be sunny, breezy and hot with wind gusts out of the south southwest picking up to 20-30 mph. High temperatures will climb to the mid 90s, which is more than 5 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, but well below the daily record of 102 set in 2024.
Looking ahead: Hot week ahead
Sunshine and a warming trend continues on Monday. High temperatures will reach just below the daily record of 100 degrees set in 2003.
More sunny and dry conditions are on the way through the workweek. Every day will start with a low in the 60s, then plenty of sunshine helping to boost high temperatures to the mid to upper 90s.
There is a slight chance for showers, mostly in the High Country, that return by the end of the week and the start of the weekend.
Denver, CO
Lakers Proposed to Land Peyton Watson in Massive 9-Player Blockbuster Trade
Getty
Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets is a potential Lakers free-agent target.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still exploring means to improve their roster ahead of the upcoming season. Moves have been made already, but there are opportunities to add more talent around Luka Doncic.
One potential target for L.A. is Denver Nuggets star, Peyton Watson. In a proposed multi-team deal involving the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers could land the high upside talent.
In the deal:
Both Watson and Jones have been linked with a move to L.A. this offseason, but no deal has been able to push forward. This proposal offers a chance to get both with one swing.
Lakers’ Outline for Acquiring Peyton Watson Through Trade


GettyDALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 14: Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 14, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
Watson, 23, is a restricted free agent, which makes any approach difficult. The Nuggets could match any offer to retain him and are reportedly planning to do so.
The 6-foot-8 star is coming off a breakout season in Mile High City, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He shot 49.1% from the field and 41.1% from three while starting 40 of his 54 appearances.
Watson’s camp is reportedly seeking north of $25 million per year which is unfavorable for the Nuggets at this point. Denver already has huge commitments to Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Anthony Gordon and Christian Braun.
The Lakers can capitalize on the Nuggets’ need to move for pieces for flexibility and pitch a move for Watson. There would be adequate space to fit in the incoming star with the outgoings in this framework.
The Lakers can offer Watson a multi-year deal that doesn’t affect their flexibility. Vanderbilt’s outgoing deal is the most notable, which is why the Lakers have put him at the top of their moving list for now.
Watson’s Upside and Adding Herb Jones to the Roster
GettyLuka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes the ball as he is pressured by Herbert Jones #2 and Jeremiah Fears #0 of the the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter of an 2025 Emirates NBA Cup game at Smoothie King Center on November 14, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Lakers would also get Jones out of this trade from the Pelicans. He is on a three-year, $68 million extension going through 2028-29 with a player option. His cap hit for 2026-27 sits at around $14.9 million.
With Watson and Jones, the Lakers would be bringing in roughly $38 million worth of salary, adding both Saddiq Rey for depth while sending out only about $26 million. This scenario would push L.A. well over its luxury limit but not into restrictive zones.
A potential lineup having Watson and Jones alongside Doncic, Austin Reaves and the newly acquired Walker Kessler, is positioned to be a strong core.
The real hurdle is getting Denver to move on from Watson. The franchise is committed to keeping him, even if it means giving up one of their more seasoned stars. They did activate a qualifying offer, making him restricted and they intend to match offers. Although a sign-and-trade is not impossible and the Lakers can work with that.
Adel Ahmad Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. More about Adel Ahmad
Denver, CO
One tree at a time: Denver nonprofit works to close shade gap as heat dome threatens neighborhoods
DENVER — Some Denver neighborhoods are far more vulnerable to this weekend’s incoming heat dome than others — and the difference comes down to trees.
The Valverde neighborhood on the city’s west side has about 9% canopy cover, leaving residents with little shade as temperatures climb toward triple digits.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio learns more about The Park People and how it is helping neighborhoods in Denver.
One tree at a time: Denver nonprofit works to close shade gap as heat dome threatens neighborhoods
Kim Yuan-Farrell, executive director of The Park People, a nonprofit that plants trees in underserved neighborhoods, said the disparity across Denver is stark.
“We have some neighborhoods that have wonderful canopy cover, like 20 to 30% of those neighborhoods are forested. Then a number of our neighborhoods have really low canopy cover, between four or 8% where it’s just significantly less,” Yuan-Farrell said.
Denver7
The Park People identified 28 neighborhoods in need of more tree cover, including Westwood, Globeville and Northeast Park Hill.
Trees can cool an area by 15 to 20 degrees, making a significant difference.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned the heat dome could last through next weekend.
“The exceptional thing about this is how long it will last,” said NWS meteorologist Russell Danielson. “If you do have trees to take shelter under, it does actually cool down the temperature a decent amount.”
Yuan-Farrell said trees are more than a comfort — they are a critical piece of urban infrastructure.
Denver7
“We really consider it a really essential element of green infrastructure, a real nature-based solution to a lot of these really serious local environmental problems,” Yuan-Farrell said.
In the map below, explore Denver’s libraries and rec centers that welcome the public in from the heat during business hours.
When asked whether Denver has a long road ahead, she did not hesitate.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Yuan-Farrell said. “And we really need our whole community to get involved in that.”
The Park People plant anywhere from 1,200 to 2,000 trees a year. You can apply for one in your yard. Planting is set to begin in September.

Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Claire Lavezzorio
Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio covers topics that have an impact across Colorado. If you’d like to get in touch with Claire, fill out the form below to send her an email.
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