The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA title. However, they have not returned to the Western Conference Finals since then. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a 3-1 lead over Denver in the first round, and questions could surround Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets this summer if they experience a shocking first-round exit.
NBA Insider Thinks Nikola Jokić Could Think Differently About His Future
Anthony Edwards suffered a knee hyperextension and bone bruise, and Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 4. Both players will miss the remainder of the series, but the Timberwolves did not back down. Ayo Dosunmu carried Minnesota with 43 points on 13-of-17 shooting to a 112-96 Game 4 win, putting Denver on the brink of elimination.
Marc Stein and Adam Mares broke down the Nuggets’ dire situation on the “All NBA Podcast.” Mares emphasized the importance of Nikola Jokić’s impending contract extension eligibility with Denver’s playoff struggles.
“The Nuggets are now facing an absolute reckoning in the offseason because they need athleticism, they need speed, and they’re up against it financially. Nikola Jokić is up for an extension. There is zero indication to this point, zero that he wants to be anywhere else … But I think if he was giving us his unvarnished analysis at this point, no way he sees this team, since the title, going in the right direction,” said Mares.
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Jokić is in the third campaign of a five-year, $276.1 million contract extension. He owns a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season. This means Jokić only has one more guaranteed season with the Nuggets before his option. The three-time MVP will be 32 years old in the final year of his deal.
Just a few short months ago, Jokić expressed zero intent to leave Denver. “I wouldn’t like to imagine that. I really found peace here. My two kids were born here. Everyone’s here. Peace, home, I found my life here. And I like life here. I don’t feel the need, I don’t have the urge to,” said the superstar center.
Ultimately, if Denver continues its early playoff exit, Jokić might have to choose between comfort and team success.
Difficult Offseason in Denver Ahead
Jokić has put himself in the best-player-in-the-world conversation since he won his first MVP in 2021. However, after reaching the top of the NBA world three years ago, the Nuggets have not returned. Minnesota beat them in 2024, and the Oklahoma City Thunder took them down last year in the second round. Stein believes Denver must make many adjustments this summer to get back to the NBA Finals.
“Denver has a rookie general manager in Ben Tenzer. They have a rookie head coach in David Adelman … Denver’s offseason, should they fall, that is an impossible offseason to navigate. You have contracts that are tough to move … You have to plug a lot of holes. Denver’s formula has expired, the league has evolved,” said Stein.
