By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic has informed the Denver Nuggets about skipping a contract extension during the ongoing offseason, as reported by Bennett Durando of The Denver Post on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Serbian superstar is under contract until the end of the 2026-27 season, with a guaranteed total of approximately $115 million, and an option valued at nearly $63 million for the 2027-28 season. Deciding to wait until next summer for another maximum deal, he becomes eligible for a four-year contract worth approximately $285 million, instead of the current range of $206 million and three more years.
Bringing in Cam Johnson via a trade for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2023 first-round pick, looking to also add Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas via a trade for Croatian Dario Saric, signing Tim Hardaway Jr., and reuniting with Bruce Brown Jr., besides promoting David Adelman to permanent head coach, the Nuggets added significant depth, addressing roster requirements and public comments of the Joker following the exit from the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google. The squad looks stronger, heading to the 2025-26 campaign.
In his tenth NBA expedition with the Nuggets, Jokic logged 84 appearances until elimination from the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the Western Conference Semifinals. He tallied 29.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per contest. Overall, he is up to 839 career appearances, including a championship run in the 2022-23 season, accompanied by the Finals Most Valuable Player award. He was also named MVP of the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2023-24 seasons.
An additional topic concerning the Sombor native is a possible participation in the EuroBasket 2025 with Serbia. He has yet to confirm a final decision on suiting up for the senior national team of his country later in the offseason.