The Minnesota Timberwolves have had plenty to like about the Denver Nuggets’ offseason, and the biggest twist may be the one hanging over next summer: Nikola Jokic could be staring at free agency.
Denver’s summer already raised eyebrows in Minnesota. After the Timberwolves exposed the Nuggets’ lack of defense and athleticism, the Nuggets let Peyton Watson walk for a first-round pick and brought in DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan adds another creator, but he also comes with the same defensive problem Denver already had in plain sight. In other words, the Nuggets may have made the roster worse when the obvious issue was on the other end of the floor.
Then there’s the Jokic angle, which is still only a possibility but one that has started to draw real attention. During a live stream with Bleacher Report, Jake Fischer laid out why teams around the league are watching closely.
“Nikola Jokic has deferred signing a contract extension for two straight summers right now," Fischer said. "And at this point in time, I was talking to a cap strategist about this earlier today; there are roughly eight to ten teams that are projected to have maximum salary cap space this (upcoming) summer.
I’m not saying this is anything close to what we endured with Giannis over the last year plus. But Nikola Jokic is now the next potential All-NBA caliber player that teams who are planning to be cap space teams moving forward are hoping will become available based on how Denver has very clearly not improved its team this summer."
For Denver, losing its three-time MVP would be a nightmare. For the Timberwolves, though, it would be a different kind of story entirely.
Minnesota already knocked Denver off its perch in 2024, and last postseason only sharpened the edge of this matchup. The Timberwolves showed exactly where the Nuggets were vulnerable, and Jaden McDaniels even went as far as to call the entire Nuggets team bad defenders. If Jokic were to leave in free agency, it would feel like the final blow in a rivalry that has already seen plenty of playoff fire.
The Wolves also appear to have done their own business to strengthen the roster, trading for LaMelo Ball and making sure Anthony Edwards stays happy. That, combined with Denver’s inability to fix its biggest weakness, has Minnesota sitting in a better spot right now.
Still, this remains speculation. Jokic has been the kind of player who keeps Denver afloat in the regular season, but the source of concern is what happens when the games matter most. The Nuggets, as described here, have little championship equity with their current defense, and another disappointing playoff run could push Jokic to value winning over staying put.
He may look like the loyal type, but that doesn’t mean he’s indifferent to success. After enough frustration, the idea of him seeking a better situation elsewhere no longer feels impossible.
And from the Timberwolves’ side, that’s exactly the kind of scenario that would light up the fan base.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Still Have One Way To Sell Kuminga On Minnesota
Jonathan Kuminga is still on the market as an unrestricted free agent, and the conversation around him has narrowed to a pair of teams that can offer something similar in dollars but not necessarily in opportunity. The Lakers and Timberwolves are both expected to be in the veteran-minimum range, which makes the decision less about the immediate paycheck and more about which situation could set him up best for the next contract.
Minnesota has one clear selling point: a path to minutes at power forward, in a frontcourt that can use another athletic, versatile piece. For a player weighing future earnings as much as the present fit, that kind of opening matters, even if the Lakers have been viewed as the more attractive landing spot. The Timberwolves still have a case to make, and the real question is whether that role is enough to keep the door open. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Suddenly Need More From One Group Than Ever
With limited draft capital and no easy path to a big swing in the market, the Timberwolves are leaning harder than ever on the young players already in the building. That puts a spotlight on a group that includes Enrique Freeman, Zyon Pullin, Rocco Zikarsky and Isaiah Evans, all of whom sit somewhere between long-term project and near-term insurance as Minnesota tries to keep its roster stocked without the benefit of tradable first-round picks.
The appeal is obvious enough: each has shown flashes in the G League or Summer League, and the Wolves need some of those flashes to become something more useful sooner rather than later. But there is still a real gap between looking intriguing in summer settings and handling NBA minutes when the games count, which is why Minnesotas developmental pipeline suddenly matters so much to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga's Wolves Choice Changes More Than Just The Rotation
Jonathan Kumingas choice gives the Timberwolves something they have been chasing all summer: another athletic, versatile forward who can fit into the competitive side of the Western Conference race without forcing the roster to be remade around him. Minnesota made a real pitch here, too, with team president Tim Connelly, coach Chris Finch and Anthony Edwards all involved in the recruiting effort, and the lure was clear enough to matter. The Wolves sold Kuminga on a starting role and the taxpayer mid-level exception, a sign they viewed him as more than just depth.
What makes the move more interesting is the flexibility it preserves on both sides. Kuminga wanted a path that left his next decision open, and Minnesota will now get to see how that plays out if he settles in quickly and becomes part of the teams core rotation. For a club trying to keep its window open, that matters beyond the first lineup card, because this is the kind of signing that can influence not just how the Wolves play now, but how they build around Edwards and company going forward. [Read more 🡒]