SAN FRANCISCO – It didn’t take long for the Nuggets to express excitement about the potential next season holds.

After the Golden State Warriors eliminated Denver from the NBA playoffs Wednesday, the Nuggets allowed themselves to look forward to what a fully healthy team could accomplish.

“It’s scary to think about that,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after his team was eliminated.

“We felt we had a legitimate chance to win a championship last year. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for us.”

With the NBA delaying the start of last season because of the pandemic, Jamal Murray’s torn anterior cruciate ligament, suffered in April of last year, sidelined Denver’s second-highest paid player for each of the last two playoff runs. Michael Porter Jr. was injured nine games into the season that required a third back surgery in the 23-year-old’s career.

“Shooting makes up for so many things,” Malone said. “Jamal and Michael can do that.”

Porter and Murray are among the eight players with contracts next season. Nikola Jokic, who committed to a future with the Nuggets after his current contract ends after next season, will be the team’s highest-paid player ($32.5 million) and could start next season as the back-to-back Most Valuable Player. Aaron Gordon, Will Barton III and Monte Morris, all starters against the Warriors, have at least one more year left on their deals, while Bones Hyland and Zeke Nnaji will still be playing under their rookie contracts. JaMychal Green ($8.2 million) and Jeff Green ($4.5 million), have player options for next season.

“We know when we’re fully healthy we can be even more dangerous,” Barton said.

Austin Rivers, DeMarcus Cousins, Bryn Forbes, Facundo Campazzo, and Vlatko Cancar are set to enter free agency, as are two-way players Davon Reed and Markus Howard, who were ineligible for the postseason. Cousins was a solid contributor as Jokic’s backup in the postseason after joining the team in the middle of the regular season. Malone and a few teammates vouched for his return, but Cousins was noncommittal.

“I honestly don’t know what the future holds. A lot in this short time has transpired. I’m still trying to get over the fact that GP (Gary Payton II) hit that big shot, right?” Cousins said, mentioning the dagger 3-pointer that gave Golden State a five-point lead with just over a minute remaining.

“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity. I’m happy to be a part of this group. I’m happy with the opportunity that was given to me.”

Denver looks to have limited options to add to next season’s roster with roughly $110 million, a good chunk of the reported $122 million salary cap, committed to Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon. The Nuggets do hold the 21st selection in the upcoming draft. That’s a core that Denver’s star believes can be competitive if the injury bug stays away.

“We don’t know what we can do because we were not healthy,” Jokic said.

“We have talent. We have players. We have pieces. We have tools. The only this is are we going to work together? That’s the only thing. That’s the question. You cannot know that until you start playing.”