Will Nikola Jokic remain with the Denver Nuggets?
Jokic has one more guaranteed season left on his deal, which will pay him $59 millio in 2026-27. In the 2027 offseason, he'll have to decide if he wants to pick up his player option worth $62 million, or decline the option and either sign a new deal with the Nuggets or become an unrestricted free agent.
By Jokic's own words, he intends to remain with the Denver Nuggets and sign a max extension next offseason.
Of course, minds can change, and until the pen is put to paper, there will be concern over Jokic leaving the only NBA franchise he's ever played for.
A Defining Season?
Appearing on NBA Today, ESPN's Dave McMenamin said about Jokic's future, "If they have a season where they go off the rails, [Jokic] could make money a lot of places."
No team would be able to pay Jokic what the Nuggets can pay him next offseason, which would be a five-year, $359.5 million supermax contract. That contract would be the largest in NBA history.
Any team that wants to sign Jokic in the offseason would have to create the necessary cap space, which is easier said than done, and could require losing players that Jokic might be interested in playing alongside.
Of course, if Jokic were actually on the open market, any team would be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to sign him if he wanted to play there. It's just not as simple as handing Jokic a major contract and moving forward as currently constructed.
The Likely Outcome
Right now, the Nuggets and fans have to take Jokic at his word that he wants to remain in Denver for the rest of his career and that he will sign the extension next offseason.
If this season doesn't go well, Denver will no doubt make the necessary changes to the team, whether it be players or coaches, to keep Jokic satisfied.
Executive Josh Kroenke said this offseason that everything was on the table for the team, short of trading Jokic. So far this offseason, the team has not made any major changes, such as trading starters like Christian Braun or Cameron Johnson, both of whom were rumored to be on the trade block.
If next season ends in disappointment once again, expect those challenges to actually come to fruition as Denver starts a new era around Jokic.
