The Magnificent Mile-High Homes of the Denver Nuggets
NBA Cribs: The Mile-High Homes of the Denver Nuggets
Ever since LeBron James famously took his talents to South Beach in 2010, the NBA has been obsessed with the concept of superteams. The thinking goes that if one superstar is great, two superstars are even better. And three superstars? Well, you can start mapping out the parade routes.
But much like mortgage interest rates below 3%, the superteam era just might be kaput.
And if you need evidence, look no further than the Western Conference Champion Denver Nuggets—or their NBA Finals foe, the Miami Heat.
On the road to their first-ever NBA Finals, the Nuggets vanquished two supposed superteams: the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.
You might even draw a parallel between house shopping and this well-built Nuggets squad. Perhaps every bell and whistle isn’t absolutely necessary in a dream home. Sure, they’re fun for bragging rights. But as must-haves go, a solid foundation and maybe one high-value amenity will do the trick.
And in the case of Denver’s roster, that valuable asset is the All-NBA center, Nikola Jokic. He wasn’t named the league’s Most Valuable Player this season, but the previous two-time MVP will be ecstatic to forgo an individual honor in favor of a championship ring.
On a finals mission of our own, we headed deep into the Rocky Mountains to scout the homes of Jokic and his teammates. While the Nuggets aren’t a superteam, the players do own some superstar-caliber real estate.
Nikola Jokic’s home is no joke
Jokic is the man in the middle for the Nuggets, and his scoring, rebounding, and passing abilities are unparalleled in the league. He left his native Serbia in 2015 and landed in Denver as an unheralded, second-round draft pick. Over the past eight seasons, he’s racked up numerous All-Star appearances and All-NBA nods and led the team into the postseason for four straight years.
In July 2022, he signed a contract befitting his status as one of the league’s best players: a five-year, $270 million agreement that will keep him in Denver through 2028. We couldn’t find evidence that he went house hunting (again) in the wake of his massive deal, but we’re pretty sure we’ve located where he’s settled—for now.
An LLC that appears to be connected to Jokic purchased a 29-room mansion in the Cherry Hills Village suburb for $4.5 million in late 2021. Private and gated, the home landed on the market in June 2021 for $5.3 million.
The listing marketed the place as an “Old World estate” with “true palatial elegance.” Perhaps that vibe appealed to the big man from the Balkans.
Replete with marble, chandeliers, and large living spaces, the 12,271-square-foot home is certainly opulent. High-end amenities include a 12-seat home theater, a gym, and guest apartments. Out back, there’s a resort-style pool and pool house, outfitted with a kitchen.
(Realtor.com)
Situated about 10 miles south of downtown, the posh suburb is teeming with multimillion-dollar mansions.
There are currently roughly 30 homes for sale in Cherry Hills Village, including a newly completed $29 million spec mansion. Perhaps Jokic won’t need to look too far if he wants to upgrade his already luxe living situation this summer.
Jamal Murray keeps it modest
While he might own a larger place in his native Canada, point guard Jamal Murray keeps relatively modest digs in Denver. In July 2019, an LLC connected to the province of Ontario spent $870,000 on a townhouse in the city’s Jefferson Park neighborhood.
The four-level residence was built in 2014 and offers a rooftop terrace with spectacular city and mountain views.
The three-bedroom home features a cute kitchen with bar seating, a couple of cozy living spaces, and a petite dining room. Best of all, it’s only about a mile from Ball Arena.
(Google)
Michael Porter Jr. digs downtown Denver
Drafted in 2018 by the Nuggets, sharp-shooting forward Michael Porter Jr. took his time before settling down in Denver. When he finally splurged on a downtown condo in August 2021, he opted for supreme style. Porter purchased four-bedroom unit in the Four Seasons Residences of Denver for $4,525,000.
Just a 10-minute walk from the arena, the building is said to offer an “unparalleled level of service and amenities,” including a doorman, private elevators, and a rooftop pool.
The home was initially listed in late 2019 for $5 million and marketed as “the personal residence of one of the world’s most revered masters of public architecture.”
It turns out, Porter bought the condo from Curtis Fentress, the architect who designed the main passenger terminal at Denver International Airport. Fentress is considered a pioneer in the sustainable design field, and his firm has tackled a range of designs for commercial clients, government entities, and other airports.
Featured in Architectural Digest in 2016, the art-filled apartment is said to have some of the best views in the city. There’s no word on whether Porter got to keep the sheep.
(Realtor.com)
KCP not spotted in Denver
In his first season with the Nuggets, well-traveled guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (aka KCP) is on the hunt for his second championship ring—and perhaps a place to stay in Denver.
A winner in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers, he had a modern home near the beach in Playa Vista, CA, that he listed in July 2021 for $4.95 million. It was sold a month later for $4.6 million—right around the same time the Lakers sent him to the Washington Wizards.
After the trade, KCP purchased a $4.9 million mansion in Potomac, MD, in September 2021. He still owns the elegant six-bedroom estate, which features “embassy-sized” living and dining rooms and a professional sport court out back.
(Realtor.com)
And while we couldn’t find any evidence of a KCP-0wned property in Colorado, the Georgia native does own an off-season home near Atlanta.
The 10,188-square-foot Sandy Springs, GA, mansion was custom-built on one of the area’s largest lots. Caldwell-Pope purchased the six-bedroom residence in 2016 for $1.6 million.
(Realtor.com)
Aaron Gordon goes big in Colorado
Aaron Gordon just wrapped up his second full season with the Nuggets, and it appears he’s put down serious roots. We can certainly confirm that this power forward has made some power moves off the court.
After joining Denver in 2021 via a trade, he felt the need for lots of space. We’re talking warehouse-sized space. In the video below, you can see one of Gordon’s Denver warehouses, which has been converted into a live-work space, complete with a kitchen, game room, and room for his luxury cars.
The warehouse sits about 10 miles east of downtown Denver, and Gordon purchased the place in June 2021 for $2.35 million.
Gordon likely also splurged on at least one—possibly two—warehouse spaces in the city’s RiNo Arts District. Both buildings—totaling more than 12,000 square feet—were sold to a cash buyer in January 2022 for $5.71 million. The full basketball court in the video below might actually be at one of those warehouses.
But if Gordon wants to live in a more conventional space, he can always head back to his traditional home in Orlando, FL.
Purchased for $3.55 million in early 2019, the five-bedroom mansion on Lake Tibet features 140 feet of shoreline. Gordon scored this contemporary gem while starring for the Orlando Magic, the team that drafted him in 2014. But given his supersized investments in Denver, it wouldn’t be a shock to see this Sunshine State retreat back on the market.
(Realtor.com)
Jeff Green builds his dream house
Gordon isn’t the only Nugget with property in Florida. Fellow forward Jeff Green built a dream house for his family in Pinecrest.
We don’t have any specs on Green’s gorgeous home, because he purchased a teardown in the South Florida town in 2017 for $1.35 million.
And based on his wife’s Instagram photos, the couple sank a few more million into creating a clean and modern residence with a gorgeous pool there.
The head coach lives in Highlands Ranch
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone took the Denver job at an extremely fortuitous time. His hiring in the Mile High City coincided with Jokic’s arrival in 2015, and the coach has reaped the rewards of having one of the planet’s best players at his disposal.
Jokic’s winning presence probably even makes the coach’s commute a little more bearable. Of everyone on the team, Malone lives farthest from the arena. In 2015, he bought a five-bedroom, Highlands Ranch home for $1.48 million. The suburb sits at the edge of the Denver metro, about 20 miles south of downtown.
Malone’s 7,113-square-foot abode backs up to open space and offers sublime mountain views. High-end features include a front courtyard, custom walk-in closets in the primary bedroom, and a main-floor study with built-ins—ready to display trophies. Will Malone add one in 2023?
(Realtor.com)
Randy White ([email protected]) contributed to this report.
