Hopefully, Nuggets fans have been thoroughly enjoying the last five or so seasons of the NBA, because things will likely never be better. Luckily, that shouldn’t change in the next few seasons with Nikola Jokic coming back to a suddenly stacked roster that should be right in the mix and competing for titles.
But in case that wasn’t enough, fans should enjoy the present even more, because once Jokic is gone, things are likely going to get very bleak. This isn’t supposed to be some doomsday read suggesting Jokic is going to leave Denver soon. I’m strictly speaking about once he’s done playing at an All-NBA level.
Maybe that’s three years from now, maybe it’s five, heck, maybe even more if we are lucky. But at some point, Father Time comes for everyone, and Jokic will start to decline or retire. And when that day comes, things are going to get ugly fast.
Nuggets have mortgaged future to win now
Not all of the moves have worked out, but the Nuggets have been as aggressive as anyone with trading draft picks, and as a result, they don’t have control of their first-round draft pick for the rest of this decade. They got access to their 2032 first-rounder on draft night and almost immediately dealt it to Brooklyn in the Cam Johnson/MPJ deal.
Denver has also moved all of their second-round picks in the process, and while they’ve got some fine young role players, there’s no prospect on the roster that will ever be a star or would command a large trade package to replenish the draft capital someday.
It’s going to be a long and painful rebuild where the Nuggets will almost certainly be a very bad team and may have to add insult to injury by giving away lottery picks year after year.
Going “all in” absolutely correct move for Nuggets
Now, having said all that, the Nuggets have absolutely taken the right approach. They are all in to win now, and they should be. Jokic is the best player in franchise history and one of the best the league has ever seen. Denver may never have a player this good again, and they should do everything possible to maximize this window and compete for as many championships as possible.
Yes, the future will be ugly, but the future be damned. It’s about winning titles, and right now, with Jokic in his prime, it is the best situation this organization will ever be in. So, focus on the present and savor every second of the Jokic era. It’s not going to get better than this, and if anything, it’s going to get a lot worse.