The noise around Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets is getting louder, but the bigger storm right now belongs to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Miami.
On Thursday, NBA insider Jake Fischer said the Warriors still see themselves as a landing spot for stars and that Jokić was on their radar. Then Golden State beat Miami for its sixth straight win, and Antetokounmpo skipped postgame media availability, which only added fuel to the questions hanging over his situation with the Heat.
That’s especially notable because Antetokounmpo had been near the top of the Warriors’ wish list. Before the February deadline, Golden State tried to trade for him.
Reports said he wasn’t interested in signing an extension with the Warriors, and instead of making another push over the summer, the team backed off. The Bucks then traded him to Miami.
A few weeks into the season, the Heat are 3-6, and the numbers haven’t been pretty: 19th in offense and 26th in defense, which is supposed to be their calling card. Antetokounmpo also has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, and if he declines it without signing an extension, he could become an unrestricted free agent.
That’s why his situation has the potential to become the league’s next major talking point if Miami doesn’t straighten things out. And if that happens, the chatter shifts away from Jokić and Denver.
Jokić’s case is different. He has repeatedly said he wants to stay with the Nuggets.
He didn’t sign an extension over the last two offseasons, but next summer he’ll be eligible for a five-year, $350 million deal. The money and long-term security make the logic there pretty clear.
Still, until Denver actually locks him up, the questions aren’t going away. They already surfaced this season after he showed frustration with fans booing the Nuggets before their home opener win over New Orleans. Anything that looks even a little negative gets turned into a conversation about whether he really wants to be in Colorado, even though he has since said he loves the fans.
Antetokounmpo is in a similar spot in one sense and a very different one in another. His future is unsettled, but unlike Jokić, he hasn’t said he’ll extend with the Heat. He could sign now, but if he waits until early January - six months after the trade - he’d be eligible for a four-year, $276 million deal instead of a three-year, $194 million one.
That gives him a reason to wait, just as it gives Jokić a reason to wait. But if Antetokounmpo doesn’t believe Miami can win, that changes the conversation fast.
Only he can answer that. For now, though, the situation in Miami looks far shakier than the one in Denver.
In Other News...
Nikola Jokic Just Entered A Conversation Nuggets Fans Will Hate
The early look at the 2027 NBA draft already has some unusual edges, with ESPNs Jeremy Woo putting Kansas forward/guard Tyran Stokes at No. 1 on his first big board while noting both the upside in his versatile game and the questions around efficiency and maturity. It is also a draft cycle that may look thinner than recent ones, with plenty of prospects expected to stay in college because of NIL opportunities and the shifting rules around the NCAA and NBA.
For Nuggets fans, though, the more jarring part of the broader league conversation is not the draft board at all. Around the NBA, personnel are already keeping tabs on potential future trade names, and Nikola Jokic has surfaced in that kind of chatter even if any move would be considered a long shot in the near term. It is the sort of speculative noise that tends to follow the biggest stars, but it still lands differently when the player in question is the centerpiece of Denvers entire outlook. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Rumors Just Got More Uncomfortable For Nuggets Fans
The Warriors are already thinking ahead to next summer, and Nikola Jokic is said to be part of that conversation. With injuries piling up around their current core, Golden State is reportedly looking at itself as a possible landing spot for big-name talent, and a player of Jokics caliber would instantly change the shape of any championship chase.
For Nuggets fans, the unease comes from the timing as much as the speculation. Jokics long-term future in Denver has become a talking point with contract extension discussions not moving quickly, and the possibility of free agency looming in the background only adds to the uncertainty. If Golden State keeps positioning itself as a destination for stars, this is the kind of rumor that will keep Denver watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Murray Suddenly Feels Like Part Of Denvers Bigger Problem
Denvers uneven start has already put the Nuggets in an uncomfortable spot, with a 4-3 record and some early warning signs showing up in both net rating and defensive ranking. Jamal Murray has still looked like one of the teams most important players, producing strong numbers and carrying much of the offensive load, but the broader concern is whether the roster around him is doing enough to keep Denver on track.
Zach Lowe recently raised the possibility that Murray could become part of the discussion if the Nuggets do not improve, a reminder of how quickly the conversation can shift when a contender looks ordinary. It is not a suggestion that Denver is eager to make a move, but it does underline the pressure building around a team that entered the season with bigger expectations than this early stretch has delivered. [Read more 🡒]