“Talent wins games. But teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
– Michael Jordan

In a league built on blockbuster trades, draft picks, and marquee free-agent signings, one of the NBA’s most valuable—and oft-overlooked—talents is the ability to identify leadership behind the scenes. Over the past two decades, few have demonstrated a more consistent eye for executive talent than Denver Nuggets President Josh Kroenke.

The Nuggets’ recent front office overhaul, which saw Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace elevated to co-general managers, initially drew skepticism from all comers. Tenzer, now Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, and Wallace, EVP of Player Personnel, are both first-time executives in their new roles. The NBA world watched with one eyebrow raised. But within hours of the 2025 free agency window opening, those doubts gave way to admiration—and even awe.

Tenzer and Wallace orchestrated a daring and decisive set of moves that quickly transformed Denver from a team in danger of stagnating behind its superstar to a reloaded contender with a deeper, more versatile bench. They traded Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 unprotected first-round pick for Cam Johnson—a player who fits more snugly alongside Nikola Jokić’s playmaking brilliance, and gave Denver cap spce breathing room they were longing for. Then, in a stunning show of resourcefulness, they inked Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. to veteran minimum deals, both of whom instantly deepen Denver’s rotation. Finally, they jettisoned Dario Šarić’s underwhelming and underused contract, acquiring veteran big man Jonas Valančiūnas from the Kings in the process, a win even if JV doesn’t decide to stay.

It’s the kind of surgical, cost-efficient team-building that championship franchises dream of. And it’s all the more impressive considering the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being the new guys replacing recently fired GM Calvin Booth—himself once an first-timer and internally-inspired promotion.

But if this sort of success from first-time execs seems improbable, it shouldn’t. Not in Denver. Not under Josh Kroenke. Because this isn’t a one-time stroke of luck—it’s a pattern. What now seems an unmistakable one. In retrospect, why did we ever doubt?

A Track Record Rooted in Risk—and Reward

The Kroenke family has owned the Nuggets since 2000, and from the beginning, their approach to executive leadership has been unconventional. In 2001, with Josh’d dad Stan calling the shots, Kiki Vandeweghe was handed his first-ever GM job in Denver. In 2006, Mark Warkentien was also a first-timer and also similarly elevated—he’d win NBA Executive of the Year in 2009.

When Josh formally took the reins as team president in 2010, at just 30 years old, he made perhaps the boldest move yet: hiring Masai Ujiri as the first African-born GM in NBA history. Ujiri, a former Nuggets scout, turned heads with a series of bold moves, earning his own Executive of the Year award in 2013 before leaving to build a title winner in Toronto. Masai fully fleeced the New York Knicks in the crazy “Melodrama” that Carmelo Anthony’s already-inevitable destination brought.

Rather than panic at the loss of Ujiri, Kroenke doubled down on his own sensibilities for first-timers, promoting Tim Connelly, who would go on to architect the drafting of Jokić in 2014—a second-round pick who blossomed into arguably the greatest player in franchise history. Connelly was also the driving force behind the Nuggets’ team-first culture and depth-oriented roster construction, and was 90% of the architect of the team that would go on to win it all.

After Connelly departed for Minnesota in 2022, Calvin Booth was the next man up. Another internal elevation, another first-timer. Booth brought in Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that same offseason, two players who were instrumental in Denver’s championship run. While his tenure ended with questions about his overreliance on youth and his eye for the draft market, Booth’s impact was also defined by the shiny Larry O’Brien trophy he helped the team bring home.

And now, once again, the Nuggets have bet on new blood—this time in surprising tandem—with best-buddies Tenzer and Wallace. They aren’t just proving worthy; they’re proving inspired.

The 2025 Reload: A Masterclass

Let’s recap what Denver’s new front office has done in just 24 hours of free agency:

• Traded Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 unprotected first for Cam Johnson, a more versatile and defensively sound wing who can shoot the three like Mike, cut, and play off-ball next to Jokić and Murray, and may be a more cerebral match for Joket than MPJ was.
• Signed Bruce Brown back to a minimum contract—a championship-tested, high-IQ role player who knows the system and fills multiple bench roles.
• Signed Tim Hardaway Jr., a proven high-volume shooter, addressing Denver’s glaring lack of three-point attempts off the bench.
• Traded Dario Šarić’s contract for Jonas Valančiūnas, a move that both improved Denver’s options at backup center and still left them further financial flexibility moving forward.

Even if Valančiūnas doesn’t play a minute, unloading Šarić’s bloated deal creates real cap relief and rotational clarity. The team is deeper, tougher, and more balanced. While they will have needs to still fill, JV in or out, Denver now boasts a roster that’s not just ready to compete for another title—but capable of sustaining success.

Vision, Continuity, and Culture

At the heart of all of this is Josh Kroenke’s trust in process and people. Instead of chasing big-name execs or trying to recreate lightning in a bottle with splashy hires, he’s built a system of continuity and mentorship. The Nuggets don’t just find talent on the court—they develop it in the front office too.

Tenzer and Wallace’s deep friendship adds another layer to the story. In a league where ego can often get in the way of collaboration, Denver has found two minds that not only complement each other but communicate seamlessly. Their unified vision for the roster—shared publicly before the draft—was simple: give the starters more help, add shooting, and maintain flexibility. Even if that only came from “internal improvement”.

They’ve done all that and more.

The Hidden Value of Stability

Denver’s model runs counter to the prevailing volatility of the NBA. While other franchises reshuffle power structures yearly and chase the next trend, Kroenke’s Nuggets emphasize loyalty, internal growth, and long-term vision. It’s paid off. Tenzer was the GM of the Nuggets G-League squad and ran it admirably. Wallace was a part of Cennley’s staff in Denver before following him to Minnesota. The Nuggets have known these gents a WHILE.

Consider this: since Josh Kroenke took over in 2010, Denver has promoted or hired five different first-time GMs, three of whom have won Executive of the Year or built championship rosters. That’s an extraordinary hit rate.

And if the early returns from Tenzer and Wallace are any indication, the streak is alive and well.

What Now?

Nikola Jokić remains the centerpiece of the franchise. As long as he’s healthy, Denver will contend. But what keeps setting the Nuggets apart from their peers is the infrastructure around him: coaching, development, scouting—and now, again, executive leadership. Part of the release of Booth was knowing the Nuggets have precious little time to waste with the career of an all-timer in the fold in Jokic. Tenzer and Wallace seem to have gotten that message loud and clear.

With Bruce Brown back, Cam Johnson ready to flourish, and Hardaway adding a long-needed shooting punch, the Nuggets are positioned to challenge the Western Conference’s elite once more. They did it without mortgaging their future, without overpaying for veterans, and without sacrificing their organizational values.

In the end, Denver’s best acquisition this offseason may not be a player at all—it may be the belief Josh Kroenke has in his own ability to find the right people and trust them to lead.

He’s a different kind of a basketball scout. A talent scout for leadership. In a league of constant uncertainty, that’s a real, sustainable gift that should keep paying dividends as long as Kroenke is signing the checks.