While the Jonas Valanciunas trade with the Nuggets and Kings has turned into one big fiasco, the underlying message behind the trade is a great one for Denver to send to Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP is extension-eligible this summer, and while there has been no substantial talk about him leaving Denver, the questions have naturally started to arise given the team’s disappointing last two seasons.
But this summer has been decidedly different, with the new front office coming in and making big changes to add talent and build depth. The Valanciunas trade was the biggest piece, though, as it pushed the Nuggets into the tax while acquiring a true, established, veteran backup for Jokic at center—something the team has lacked for years.
Whether Valanciunas ever actually arrives in Denver or not, this move shows Jokic that the team is willing to spend and to go out and get the necessary pieces required to compete for championships during the prime of the Joker’s career.
Prior to about a week ago, it’s fair to wonder if that message was being clearly delivered to Jokic. The Nuggets had watched talented players walk out the door multiple offseasons in a row, and they were faced with a thin roster, short on talent, and even shorter on assets.
Nuggets’ organization must earn Jokic’s trust
Josh Kroenke didn’t help matters by waiting two months to replace Calvin Booth in the front office, then delivering a disastrous press conference where he openly talked about trading Jokic someday. But since that moment, Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace have hit one home run after another and have this team trending in the right direction.
The biggest remaining question was just how much ownership would be willing to spend, but the trade for Valanciunas should answer that question. Even if he never shows up, the team will have access to the full mid-level exception, plus trade exceptions.
Those avenues will allow them to spend even more, to hopefully find a replacement backup center and a capable backup point guard as well. If the Nuggets can pull that off, it should certainly be enough to show Jokic how much they are committed to winning and how they are willing to pay for the right pieces.
Ultimately, nobody knows what Jokic is thinking. He looks extremely happy watching his horses race back home in Serbia. Roster moves and luxury taxes seem very far from his focus right now, but that extension offer is coming soon. Then it will be time to see just how much Jokic has been paying attention, how much this all means to him, and how much he believes in the organization.