Nikola Jokic’s future in Denver is suddenly being dragged into the rumor mill, and one Warriors insider is helping keep that conversation alive.
Golden State insider Tim Kawakami has brought up Jokic multiple times in recent days, and a post on X by NBACentral quoted him saying a long-term Nuggets extension is far from a sure thing.
“I’ve been hearing this for a little while,” he said. “It’s an open thing.
It’s an open thing. He’s very likely to go back to Denver, but it’s an open thing.
There’s nothing guaranteed about him going back to sign a long extension with Denver.”
That chatter followed Kawakami’s earlier suggestion that the Warriors have a Nuggets target they believe could be attainable, though he did not name Jokic directly. The timing stands out because Jokic had only recently said he wanted to spend the rest of his career in Denver.
There is also a contract wrinkle hanging over the whole situation. Jokic reportedly passed on a four-year, $278 million extension during the 2026 offseason, and waiting until 2027 could put him in line for a five-year supermax deal. He also holds a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
ESPN insider Jake Fischer has also connected Golden State to the situation, saying, “The Warriors are one of those teams out there that are looking around and rubbing their fingers together and thinking, ‘Are we sure Jokić isn't gonna become available next summer?’”
For now, Denver’s 5-4 start has only added more oxygen to the speculation. The Warriors would obviously love to extend Stephen Curry’s championship window with a player like Jokic, but at this point the rumor still looks like smoke more than fire.
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