Nikola Jokic could take in a lot of money starting this offseason.
For whatever future plans the Denver Nuggets have for their roster, one thing is absolutely clear: Nikola Jokic will be the central piece for the roster for as long as the Nuggets can manage.
Denver ownership has expressed interest in retaining as much of their roster from this past season as possible and while Jokic isn't on the free agent block yet this offseason, the Nuggets will have an opportunity to ensure their franchise player doesn't even reach the free agent process this summer.
A recent report from ESPN laid out the opportunity the Nuggets have in front of them to retain their three-time MVP, though it will obviously come with a heavy cost.
Jokic's Future
"Starting on the first day after the NBA Finals, Jokic and the Nuggets can negotiate either a three-year, $214 million maximum extension or one at four years worth $278 million. The length of the contract is based on whether Jokic exercises his $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season," the report read.
Signing Jokic to an extension obviously removes any uncertainty around their best player and the chances of him singing such an extension seems good considering that Jokic has said in the past that he "wants to be a Nugget for life," but that being said, both the team itself and Jokic are conscious of the work the team needs to do.
There's no harsher reminder of how far the Nuggets need to go to revamp their roster than how far they didn't go in the playoffs being bounced out of the first round by the sixth-seed Minnesota Timberwolves.
Changes for Denver to Make
It will take not just bringing back the main core that did bring Denver a good amount of regular season success, but also adding some more impactful pieces to round out the team's depth as well, especially considering how many injuries the Nuggets suffered this past season.
How exactly they'll be able to do all of that is up in the air considering their finances are somewhat tied up by Christian Braun's contract and if they do succeed in securing Peyton Watson, the hefty cost he'll come with, but their true priority will be extending Jokic if they choose to go forward with those negotiations following the Finals.
Whatever other moves they make, the Nuggets will need to know that their franchise star remains with the franchise for years to come.
