Milwaukee Bucks fans never had much of a reason to doubt Giannis Antetokounmpo about his desire to stay a Buck. He said just as recently as a few weeks ago that he hoped to be a Buck next season, and many more. But the NBA is a business, and the Bucks couldn't win, even when they spent well above the tax to do it, multiple seasons in a row. But now they traded Giannis so he could win, and they could rebuild. If the Denver Nuggets aren't careful about how they construct the roster this summer, they could end up facing the same fate as the Bucks.
The saving grace that can at least let Nuggets fans sleep peacefully at night is the fact that Nikola Jokic is loyal. Very loyal. He has never given Nuggets fans or the organization any reason to ever think he wouldn't do what he says he would do.
So we have to take him at his word that he's going to sign the extension. But all the Nuggets need from Joker is a simple, "yes, I'll extend now." Verbally. He could leave a voicemail for Nuggets team president Josh Kroenke if he wants.
The Bucks went mostly all-in and now face a rebuild
The Bucks only had a small tax bill the year that they won their championship in 2020-21. Keeping the band mostly together cost them an estimated $53.9 million in tax penalties in 2021-22, only to come up short in the Eastern Conference Finals. That would be as close as Giannis got to the Finals again. The Bucks were bounced in the first round the following season after running it back with mostly the same squad and an $83.8 million tax bill.
All told, the Bucks spent first-round picks and around $220 million in luxury tax fines over five years of taxpayer status with Giannis in winning one title and failing to get back to the Finals afterwards. The Bucks certainly tried things out. But they leveraged Jrue Holiday and defense for Damian Lillard and offense in the end, and it didn't work out.
The Bucks now face a rebuild after missing the playoffs last year and trading Giannis to the Miami Heat. Defense wins championships, and the Nuggets should be trying to add defense to help Jokic now. They don't have any tradeable picks to rebuild with.
Jokic could be waiting to see what the Nuggets do
No one knows what Jokic is truly thinking or going to do. We just know that he is on the verge of delaying the signing of his contract extension. But he could be waiting around to see what the Nuggets do with the roster and what their long-term vision is before he extends his time in the Mile High City. Clearly, the Bucks had a plan, and it just never worked out for them.
That's basically the Nuggets over the last three years. They ran it back, paid some taxes, but instead of giving it one more go, they got cheap and started to cut salary, trading Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson last season.
Kroenke Sports Entertainment is the richest ownership group in sports by a considerable margin. They have the money to pay whatever taxes they need to pay without depleting the roster any further. Deal with the roster limitations of the second apron, sure, but don't skimp around Joker.
It's time to make some changes. The Nuggets need to learn from the Bucks and make the right ones, or there's a chance of a flight risk from Jokic until he signs on the dotted line. Even if he doesn't think it would be so.
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