In the NBA, everyone is always trying to find the next superstar who could be on the move or want out of their current situation, and one name that’s started to come up is Nikola Jokic.
While there is nothing imminent when it comes to the superstar center leaving Denver, a lot of eyes will be fixated on how the Nuggets do in 2026-27, with the Los Angeles Lakers already mentioned as one of the teams watching closely.
If Jokic were ever to leave Denver, there would likely only be a select few landing spots he’d have interest in going to, and Jeremy Brener of Sports Illustrated believes the Toronto Raptors could be one of them.
“The Toronto Raptors should be monitoring Nikola Jokic’s situation with the Denver Nuggets over the next year… The Nuggets failed to make it out of the first round for the first time since 2022 this past season, which could suggest that Denver is trending in the wrong direction. If Jokic is looking for a new start, he may look towards Toronto for that. Jokic likely has a relationship with Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who is one of just three European coaches currently in a head coaching position. Rajakovic recently spoke very highly of Jokic in an interview and it’s clear that there is probably mutual respect between the two,”
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 27.7 PPG, 10.7 APG, and 12.9 RPG in 65 games played this past season.
Jokic’s relationship with Rajakovic, along with the Raptors being on an upward trajectory toward contention and Toronto being a city players are fond of, makes it an intriguing possibility.
It’s ultimately all just a dream scenario at this point in time, but we see superstar trade requests and blockbuster moves every year in the NBA, so nothing can truly be ruled out, especially if the Nuggets aren’t contenders in the Western Conference next season.
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