Nikola Jokic keeps sending the same message, and the Nuggets keep answering with stopgaps.
Over the past three offseasons, Jokic has pushed Denver toward veteran help that can score and create. In 2024, that meant Russell Westbrook.
In 2026, it was DeMar DeRozan. Those moves make sense on paper because the Nuggets have had obvious offensive gaps, but they also read like something deeper: Jokic asking the team to ease up on the load he keeps carrying.
That load is enormous. In 2025-26, Jokic led the NBA in assists per game and finished No. 8 in scoring. That’s the kind of production that reminds everyone why he’s one of the best players in the league, but it also raises the obvious question of how long Denver can keep leaning on him this hard.
The numbers tell the story. During the Nuggets’ championship season, Jokic averaged 24.5 points and 14.8 field goal attempts per game.
Since then, those figures have climbed to 26.4 points and 17.9 field goals, then 29.6 points and 19.5 field goals, and then 27.7 points and 17.4 field goals. Denver has gone out in the first or second round in each of those three playoff runs.
That’s why the DeRozan move shouldn’t automatically be dismissed. Critics have pointed to his flaws, especially on defense, just as Westbrook’s shaky jump shot drew skepticism a year earlier. But both additions also reflect a hard truth: the Nuggets didn’t have the money to chase prime-age players who might have offered a more complete answer.
The cleaner solution would have been internal growth, but that’s been the missing piece too. If Denver had developed more scorers and playmakers around Jokic, maybe he wouldn’t have had to push so hard through the regular season.
Peyton Watson looked like the one young player ready to take on some of that burden, but he never topped 6.3 shot attempts per game before his contract year and then left in free agency.
There’s still hope that Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther can contribute in 2026-27, though neither is known as a playmaker. That’s part of why the Nuggets have veterans like DeRozan and Tyus Jones on the roster, both likely to play meaningful roles as Denver tries to lighten Jokic’s offensive workload.
Whether the outside world likes those signings or not, the bigger issue is unchanged: Denver still hasn’t built enough around Jokic to keep him from having to do so much himself.
In Other News...
Nuggets Wing Addition Just Put Real Pressure On Denvers Rotation
The Nuggets have added another name to the wing mix, and it comes with a bit more intrigue than usual. Denver signed DeMar DeRozan to a one-year veterans minimum deal to help fill out the rotation on the perimeter, and then officially brought in Lonnie Walker IV after he exited his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, giving the team another look at a player who has been on NBA radar for a while.
Walkers path to Denver is still far from settled, though, and that is what makes this one worth watching as camp approaches. His agreement is only a training camp invite with no guaranteed money, so he will have to earn his way onto the roster in a crowded battle for minutes and a final spot. For a Nuggets team trying to balance established production with depth on the wing, the next few weeks should tell a lot about how serious this addition really is. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Sounds Fed Up As Nuggets Face A Delicate Spotlight Issue
The Nuggets spent the offseason operating under financial restrictions that shaped how they could build out the roster, another reminder of how thin the margin can be for a team trying to stay in contention around Nikola Jokic. On top of that, the franchise is dealing with the usual pressure that comes with any star in a contract year, even as reports continue to indicate Jokic wants to stay in Denver.
What makes the situation a little more delicate is the spotlight itself. Jokic has made it clear he is increasingly uncomfortable with the public side of being one of the leagues biggest names, and that tension adds a quieter layer to a season already carrying plenty of attention. Teams around the league are watching his contract situation closely, but for the Nuggets, the more immediate concern is keeping their cornerstone content while the noise keeps building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Just Gave Nuggets Fans A Rarely Seen Frustration
Nikola Jokic has spent years being one of the NBAs most recognizable stars, but he sounded far more interested in drawing a line around his off-court life than soaking up the spotlight. In a recent interview, the Nuggets center talked openly about how the attention can wear on him, saying he is not as eager as he once was to stop for fans and that he is trying to protect his own time away from the game.
Jokic also turned the conversation back to basketball, where the challenge still comes from the quality of the league as much as from any one opponent. He discussed the defenders who make his nights difficult and noted how many good big men and versatile bodies there are to deal with, a reminder that even for a player with his rsum, the nightly grind never really lets up. [Read more 🡒]