Nikola Jokic’s next contract is shaping up to be the biggest payday in NBA history, and the real question in Denver isn’t whether he stays - it’s how long the Nuggets can afford to wait.
League sources told Kevin O’Connor that no one around the NBA expects Jokic to leave Denver, even with free agency looming next summer. The most likely outcome remains a five-year max deal with the Nuggets, but timing matters here because waiting another year could push the number into a projected five-year, $360 million contract.
“Every league source I’ve spoken to over the years and in recent weeks has reiterated that no one really expects Jokić to leave Denver. Waiting also makes financial sense: Next summer, he could sign a projected five-year, $360 million deal - the richest deal in NBA history.”
That potential record-setting figure appears to be the only real reason extension talks haven’t moved faster. Still, Jokic’s expected commitment shouldn’t give Denver any room to relax. The Nuggets are under pressure to build a roster that matches the player they’re asking to keep.
“But his desire to stay shouldn’t make Denver comfortable with wasting another year of his prime. The Nuggets need to give him a supporting cast that can help turn that expected commitment into another championship… Jokic says he wants to spend the rest of his career in Denver. Now the Nuggets need to show they know what to do with the time he’s giving them.”
Jokic is 31 and still squarely in his prime. With five All-Star nods and eight All-NBA selections, he remains one of the league’s most valuable players and, by the source’s framing, arguably the best center in basketball.
For Denver, extending him is the easy part. Living up to what that extension demands is where the challenge begins.
The Nuggets’ current plan appears to be simple: let the season unfold before getting a new deal done. Whether Jokic would take a discount is not clear, but Denver has obvious reasons to try. The roster has holes that need filling, especially with depth across multiple spots.
The core is still there with Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon, but the supporting cast has taken hits. Peyton Watson’s departure hurts the wing rotation, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is gone to the Heat after supplying important perimeter shooting and isolation scoring. The bottom line is that Denver has gotten worse, and that makes the urgency around Jokic even sharper.
If the Nuggets want to keep pace with the league’s top teams, they may have to make uncomfortable choices. The source notes that nobody outside Jokic may be fully safe from trade discussions.
For now, the uncertainty hangs over everything. Once he officially commits, Denver can focus on trying to reward that loyalty and put him back on a championship track.
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