Many teams across the league are entering the upcoming 2026-27 season with high expectations. None of them are expected to deliver as much as the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets enter the year at a crossroads regarding their future, particularly the fate of superstar and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. After Jokić helped guide Denver to the 2023 championship, the franchise hasn’t reached the second round of the playoffs since. The roster is getting older, more expensive, and arguably worse.
And after a mostly quiet summer with few upgrades, the pressure is on for the team to perform this season, especially with Jokić’s increasingly cloudy future.
Jokić Turned Down $278 Million This Summer for a Reason
The biggest story entering 2026-27 for Denver: Jokić is on the last guaranteed year of his contract.
After this season, Jokić can either accept or decline his nearly $63 million player option for 2027-28, according to Spotrac. Jokić has until June 29, 2027, to decide.
2027-28 will be Jokić’s age-32 season, per Basketball-Reference. He could have signed as much as a four-year, $278 million extension this summer. Waiting allows him to ink as much as a five-year contract worth around $350 million. It would likely be Jokić’s last big payday in his NBA career.
Jokić addressed the situation during recent media availability, calling it “business.” He verbally committed to re-signing after this year.
A year from now, maybe Jokić will do just that. After all, the front office does not seem concerned the superstar will leave. Jokić has expressed his desire to stay in Denver on multiple occasions.
But…
Denver’s Offseason Didn’t Do Much to Ease the Pressure
With a franchise cornerstone like Nikola Jokić, the goal every year should be to maximize his prime. Denver’s lackluster offseason should have plenty of fans feeling worried.
Denver’s most notable move was trading one of its bright, young cornerstones.
The Nuggets dealt Peyton Watson in a five-team sign-and-trade. Watson had a shortened but breakout 2025-26 season, but he and Denver failed to agree on a new deal. That mostly resulted from limited financial flexibility, with much of the cap tied up in deals like Christian Braun’s $125 million extension.
Denver’s biggest moves included signing DeMar DeRozan and Marvin Bagley III, retaining Spencer Jones and Tyus Jones, and getting a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Watson trade.
Similar to last year, Denver will count on Jokić to shoulder much of the load. Besides that, it needs another All-Star-caliber season from Jamal Murray and health from key players like Aaron Gordon.
Verbal Commitments Mean Nothing Until the Pen Hits Paper
One thing is clear: Nikola Jokić saying he will sign an extension and actually doing so are two different things.
For Nuggets fans and the broader NBA community, Jokić doesn’t come across as deceptive or misleading. Legacy is a big deal for Jokić. Perhaps he wants to be the next Dirk Nowitzki, who stayed with the Dallas Mavericks through all the ups and downs. Jokić is still seen by some in the NBA media as untradable.
But something else can be true: until the pen is put to paper, Jokić’s unsigned extension will hang over everything.
What happens if Denver gets off to a rocky start? What if the Nuggets aren’t as good? With the changes to lottery rules — which reduce incentives to tank — most teams have an incentive to win. Each night and game will matter more. Depth becomes more important, something the Nuggets don’t quite have.
How about if the Nuggets face another shocking playoff exit, like last year against the shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves?
And in the NBA, anything can occur. Giannis Antetokounmpo, multiple times, committed to being with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was the latest big star to be traded this summer. Like Denver, Milwaukee won the title, then experienced slow, steady regression before things reached a breaking point.
Is it unrealistic to say something similar could happen in Denver?
Denver Is Gambling That the Current Core Is Good Enough
Unlike the Giannis situation or other superstars, the Denver Nuggets are taking a way greater risk in this whole situation. The ball is in Jokić’s court.
He can choose whether to sign the extension or not, whether based on how 2026-27 goes or if he truly wants to remain in Denver. If he wants out, it’s unlikely another team would trade for him unless he committed to signing there. The Nuggets chose to not make a splash this offseason. They’re hoping the current core alongside Jokić is good enough to contend.
Jokić and the Nuggets will take the court under two weeks from now. After that, every game will be under the microscope.
Anxiety among Nuggets fans will build until that extension is signed.
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