The Los Angeles Lakers may have a path to Nikola Jokic next summer, and it starts with a surprising development out of Denver.
According to NBA insider Mark Stein, who required a subscription for the report, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is unlikely to sign a max extension this summer. If that holds, Jokic could reach free agency after next season, and that instantly puts the Lakers in the conversation.
That possibility also complicates Los Angeles’ own offseason plans. The Lakers have $52 million in cap space this summer, but that flexibility disappears next summer if they commit to players on multi-year deals. In that scenario, their only realistic route to Jokic would be a sign-and-trade.
That leaves the Lakers with a delicate balancing act. They can’t simply go all-in on this summer’s market if they want to preserve a shot at Jokic. One possible path would be using Austin Reaves as the centerpiece of a sign-and-trade with Denver, assuming Jokic wanted to land in Los Angeles next summer.
And if the Nuggets didn’t want Reaves directly, he could still be sent to another team for assets that could later be rerouted to Denver.
For now, the Lakers need to improve their roster without boxing themselves out of a bigger opportunity a year from now. That kind of flexibility has worked for them before, and it could matter again here.
They also have one more advantage in their favor: Luka Doncic is close friends with Jokic.
That connection gives Los Angeles an edge in any future pursuit of the three-time league MVP. It also adds another layer of pressure on Denver, which appears to be nearing the end of its run.
There’s still a chance Jokic is using this situation to push the Nuggets toward major changes, including a possible move for Boston Celtics star Jalen Brown. But if Denver can’t make the kind of swing he wants, the Lakers could be waiting as the team ready to pounce next offseason.
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