Nikola Jokic is spending part of his offseason back home in Serbia, and the latest look at him has Nuggets fans feeling a little better about where he’s headed entering next season.
The Denver star, who is 31, is known to make the trip to his home country every summer. He’s also known for his love of horse racing, another offseason habit he reportedly enjoys. This time around, though, the big takeaway is how he looks: smiling, relaxed and noticeably in better shape.
That matters for a Nuggets team that has had a pretty quiet offseason so far after its early playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. Denver has added Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones and made draft picks, but there hasn’t been much movement that clearly pushes the team back into title-contender territory.
The roster has also taken a hit. Tim Hardaway Jr. is gone, having signed with the Miami Heat in free agency, and Jonas Valanciunas was waived to create cap space. On top of that, Denver is working on new deals for Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, but Watson has reportedly drawn interest from other teams, especially the Los Angeles Clippers.
So while Jokic’s condition is an encouraging sight, the bigger picture in Denver still feels unfinished. The Nuggets have created cap space, but they haven’t yet used it to make the kind of move that changes the conversation around Jokic’s supporting cast. Fans are still waiting to see whether the front office has something major lined up.
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Nikola Jokic Has Nuggets Fans Reading Into One New Offseason Look
Nikola Jokics offseason has once again taken him back to Serbia, where the Nuggets center has been spending time rafting with friends as he does most summers. The photos that surfaced from the trip caught attention for a different reason this time: Jokic looked leaner than he has in past offseasons, a small visual cue that has Denver fans already trying to read between the lines before training camp even gets here.
It comes at a time when the Nuggets have not dramatically reshaped the roster after their first-round playoff exit, even with additions like Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones and a few familiar veterans moving on. Jokic also spent part of last season dealing with a hyperextended left knee that cost him four weeks, so the slimmer look has naturally prompted some speculation that he may be approaching the year with a little extra attention on staying fresh. [Read more 🡒]