If Nikola Jokic, who has the option of becoming a free agent in 2027, doesn’t sign a contract extension this offseason, the Denver Nuggets could reportedly be forced to explore trade options for the three-time NBA MVP.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the entire league “will be watching” closely as the Serbian star and the Nuggets ponder their future after being ousted in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“…The dramatic nature of the Nuggets’ fall, coupled with the reality that every team in the league would line up for the chance to trade for (or sign) Jokić, means the entire league will be watching to see if he signs the extension,” Amick wrote on Friday.
Jokic reportedly chose not to ink a contract extension last summer due to financial reasons. The 2023 NBA Finals MVP stands to sign a four-year, $293M extension this summer as opposed to a three-year, $212M deal last year. However, he no longer has such a financial incentive to wait until the 2027 offseason, when he will have the choice to exercise his $62M player option for the 2027-28 season.
Nikola Jokic Trade: Is it Possible?
If Jokic does sign a contract extension this summer, the Nuggets could reportedly explore trades for Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon — the team’s second- and third-best players — to enhance the roster around their longtime franchise star.
“…It’s only natural to wonder whether the Nuggets might have some internal discussion about [trading] the second-highest-paid player on the roster: Murray,” Amick wrote.
“In contrast to Gordon, whose health struggles might make possible suitors wary if he were made available, the 29-year-old Murray is coming off the best regular season of his career. He is handsomely paid — three years and a combined $161 million left on his deal — and there is always robust market for elite scorers and playmakers.
“The danger is breaking up the Jokić-Murray two-man game that is widely considered the best in all the NBA.”
Nikola Jokic Expresses Desire to Stay in Denver
For what it’s worth, Jokic reiterated his desire to stay in the Mile High City after his Nuggets were eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday.
“I still want to be a Nugget forever,” he said.
The Nuggets, who’ve failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs since capturing the 2023 NBA title, will have other critical decisions to make this offseason. Besides the Jokic extension, the Nuggets will have to pay impending restricted free agent Peyton Watson, who is expected to command offer sheets from across the league.
Other superstar players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant could reportedly be floated in NBA trade rumors this offseason, depending on how the playoffs finish. Antetokounmpo is in a similar situation as Jokic, as the Greek star has a player option for 2027-28.
Major Update on Nuggets Possibly Trading Nikola Jokic After Playoffs Disaster