How much longer can the Denver Nuggets’ championship window stay open?
By Kyle Berry
How will Nikola Jokic keep the Denver Nuggets’ title window open?
Nikola Jokic is the centerpiece for the Denver Nuggets, and few players carry the type of burden Big Honey has for this team.
Statistically, Jokic is top-class, and his MVP performance speaks for itself. So, it’s no wonder that the initial focus will be on how long Denver can keep their superstar around, happy and healthy as he leads the Nuggets to new heights moving forward.
Believe it or not, Jokic is only 26 and looking better than ever. He signed a five-year, $148 million max extension with the Nuggets in July of 2018, giving the Nuggets only this year and 2022 to strike gold before Jokic becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
Speaking to a Serbian media outlet in a documentary on his career, Nikola Jokic said he would like to be Denver’s Tim Duncan, in the sense that he stays with the one team that drafted him for his entire career:
"“When I came to Denver, I said that I would love to be Denver’s Tim Duncan because he played his whole career in San Antonio. God willing, I would love to play my whole career in Denver.”"
All signs point to Denver retaining its star, and I expect Jokic to sign another deal locking him down for years to come. But, with that contract will come strain on the rest of the roster to maintain a championship level of production. That pressure will primarily be on finding shooters and playmakers who can accent Jokic’s game while Denver struggles to stay under the cap.
Jokic is due a base salary of $30.5 million in 2021, and I can’t even imagine what it will be in 2023 now that he has an MVP trophy under his belt and keeps adding to his resume. As long as Jokic is in Denver, however, the sky is the limit for the Nuggets. Jokic can play with seemingly anyone, and his court vision and awareness are becoming God-like.
With each year, Jokic’s ceiling gets higher as he continues to dazzle spectators, teammates, coaches, and opponents every time he steps on the court. An elusive NBA championship is seemingly the only thing left for Jokic to accomplish as he establishes himself as an all-time great in the league.