Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have to be sick of seeing the Minnesota Timberwolves come playoff time.
For the second time in three years, Denver’s championship hopes were crushed by Minnesota—first in a seven-game second-round series in 2024, and this time in a six-game first-round matchup. Despite injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves were once again able to frustrate Jokic and the Nuggets and send them packing for the offseason.
It marks a third consecutive early exit for Denver since winning the title in 2022–23, and with that comes questions about the direction of the team. Jokic was blunt postgame, stating that the Nuggets aren’t close to being a true contender, though he did follow it up by reaffirming his commitment to stay in the Mile High City long-term.
“I mean, we just lost in the first round, so I think we are far away. I mean, that’s not my decision. Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all be fired… I still want to be a Nugget forever. I still want to be a Nugget forever,”
The 31-year-old Jokic has two years remaining on the five-year, $276,122,630 contract extension he signed with the Nuggets back in 2022, which includes a player option following the 2026–27 campaign. He averaged 25.8 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 13.2 RPG in six games played this postseason.
Questions around Jokic’s future have arisen, given that he will be eligible to sign a new extension worth up to four years and $293 million this summer. While the superstar center didn’t give much away in terms of a new deal, it doesn’t sound like he has any plans to ever play for another NBA team.
Those comments should ease any concerns Denver may have had for now, though there’s always the lingering possibility of an early retirement to return home to Serbia—something Jokic has hinted at in the past. With that in the back of their minds, you can expect the Nuggets to be aggressive again this offseason in order to get back to championship form with Jokic still around.
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