The Denver Nuggets don't have to worry about a situation like the one that the Bucks are in with Giannis Antetokounmpo unfolding in the Mile High City. Nikola Jokić opted not to sign an extension this past summer, but not because he doesn't want to be in Denver for the entirety of his career, as he said at media day that he wants "to be a Nugget forever."
Jokić was eligible to sign a three-year, $200 million extension with Denver before the 2025-26 season started. Next summer, he will be eligible to add a fourth year and roughly $77 million to his next contract. You should understand why he delayed extension talks.
Has that stopped teams from preparing to make a run at Jokić in 2027, when he could decline his $62.8 million player option to hit free agency? No. He's a once-in-a-lifetime player. If there is even a slight chance that you can go after a player like Jokić, you prepare for it.
It's what teams have been doing the past couple of years with Giannis. After last week's report from ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania that Giannis and his agent are discussing his future with Milwaukee, there is a chance that he could ask out before the Feb. 5 deadline. Bucks fans are waiting once again to see whether Giannis will stay or go.
Luckily, Nuggets fans don't have to worry about that when it comes to Jokić.
Jokić already said he wants to stay with the Nuggets
Denver did itself a favor by retooling its roster over the summer, adding the depth that Jokić acknowledged the team didn't have after the Nuggets' season ended in the second round of the 2025 playoffs. The new front office duo made sure that Denver wouldn't "waste" Jokić, as many criticized the previous front office regime for doing in the two years after the team won the 2023 title.
The Nuggets currently have a 17-6 record and sit third in the West. They've been without Christian Braun since Nov. 12, when he sprained his ankle, and without Aaron Gordon since Nov. 21, when he strained his hamstring. The depth Denver previously lacked has helped the team stay atop the conference despite two starters being down.
There is no real reason for Jokić to want to leave. We all know by now that he isn't your typical NBA superstar, so the last thing he'd want is to face the drama that comes with requesting a trade (or anything of that sort), anyway. Luckily, the Nuggets didn't take advantage of that this past offseason.
Fans want Jokić to join the exclusive list of stars who spend the entirety of their careers with the same organization. Bucks fans would love nothing more for the same to happen with Giannis, but, unfortunately for them, they seem to be past that point. Let's just hope that Giannis stays far away from the West.