Nikola Jokic recently said that he hopes to spend his entire career with the Denver Nuggets. Jokic has found plenty of success in Denver, winning a championship and multiple MVP awards. However, Tim Bontemps of ESPN revealed the potential reality of the situation, via NBA on ESPN.
"That (comment) was to a direct question... of will you sign a contract extension with Denver next summer," Bontemps said. "So, 'my plan is to be with the Nuggets forever,' I saw a lot of fans... very excited that Jokic said that. I'm not saying they shouldn't be excited because we all expect Nikola Jokic to be in Denver. However, he didn't say yes."
Bontemps is urging caution before Nuggets fans get too excited about Jokic's comments. The fact of the matter is that the future Hall of Famer has yet to officially sign a new contract extension. Jokic's comments are certainly encouraging -- as it's difficult to imagine a player saying he'd want to remain with a team "forever" if he was unhappy.
Nuggets building contending team around Nikola Jokic
Still, until Jokic officially signs a new deal, his long-term future technically remains uncertain. The Nuggets are building a contending team around Jokic once again. They still have Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun on the roster, while Denver also acquired Cameron Johnson during the offseason.
The Nuggets, of course, earned a championship just a few seasons ago. Jokic's primary goal is to win, though, so Denver is doing everything it can to continue to build a strong roster around the NBA's best player.
The 30-year-old finished second in MVP voting in 2024-25, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the award. Still, Jokic is a three-time MVP who is one of the most consistent stars in the sport. He certainly had a case for winning his fourth MVP a season ago, as Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
What is Jokic's current contract situation?
At the very least, Jokic -- barring a shocking trade -- will remain in Denver through the 2026-27 season. His contract features a player option for the 2027-28 campaign, however. He is then set to enter unrestricted free agency in 2028-29. The Nuggets would surely like to avoid that possibility by signing Jokic to a contract extension sooner rather than later.
A new deal has yet to come to fruition, but Jokic's comments certainly suggest he will be open to contract extension discussions.