Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets: A Promising Future
The Denver Nuggets, aiming to reinforce their roster, have made significant moves in the offseason, including the addition of key players to strengthen their team. These decisions seek not only to improve the depth of the roster, but also to ensure the continuity of their star, Nikola Jokic, who could sign a colossal contract extension next summer. Jokic, who had the option to sign a four-year, $212 million extension this summer, chose to wait. Next year, the Serbian center could opt for a similar extension, but for a figure that would amount to $293 million.Despite being in the third year of his five-year, $276 million supermax contract, Jokic has not confirmed whether he will sign the extension in 2026, but he has made it clear he wants to stay in Denver: “My plan is to be a Nugget forever.” The Nuggets have made significant changes to the organization, including the appointment of David Adelman as head coach, the replacement of general manager Calvin Booth by Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace, and the addition of several veterans. These moves came after the trade of Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets. In an effort to reinforce the team, the Nuggets acquired Cam Johnson, a forward with great shooting ability, in the Porter trade, which also freed up salary space to address other needs of the roster. In addition, they secured the return of Bruce Brown, who was fundamental in the Nuggets’ championship conquest before becoming a free agent. They also added veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. and acquired Jonas Valanciunas to reinforce the center position, providing Jokic with valuable support and the possibility of playing alongside him at certain times. The Nuggets will also have DaRon Holmes back, their first-round pick in 2024, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that kept him off the court during his rookie season.I don’t think about that. Contract extensions are a reward, something natural in sports. Especially in the current NBA, with the growth of the salary cap.
Nikola Jokic
Brown, who signed with Indiana after the Nuggets’ championship celebration and was quickly traded to Toronto, expressed his desire to return to Denver shortly after his departure.Bruce is back. We win with him. We need to save his career again. We have Cam and Jonas, we have a lot of new guys. We have Holmes healthy. We’ll see. It’s a new energy, a new beginning for us. Let’s hope we can do something.
Nikola Jokic
Indiana was great for me when I was there, but it was only three months. And once I got to Toronto, we were on two different paths, right? They were rebuilding… and I had already passed that stage. So, I think that immediately, as soon as I got there, I wanted to go back.
Bruce Brown
