It is widely expected that Nikola Jokic will not extend his contract with the Nuggets this summer and is expected to wait until the end of the 2026-27 season to re-enter negotiations. Jokic is set to earn $59 million in 2026-27 and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
According to NBA insiders Mike A. Scotto of HoopsHype and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the three-time MVP is not expected to ask out of the team or test free agency next season. The Nuggets have apparently been given the reassurance that this does not indicate Jokic’s unhappiness in Denver.
“Despite the possibility of Nikola Jokic holding off on extension talks for now, per The Stein Line, Jokic has reiterated a desire to stay long-term in Denver in recent talks, league sources told HoopsHype. If Jokic waits until next summer, he’s eligible for an additional year on an extension, which should be noted,” Scotto wrote first on HoopsHype.
“In the wake of Marc Stein and Jake Fischer’s report on Saturday that the Denver Nuggets superstar is considering not signing an extension this summer, there was instant speculation about what it might mean,” wrote Amick in his report for The Athletic.
“After all, the three-time NBA MVP has just one guaranteed season left on his contract and now finds himself in the same contractual situation as Antetokounmpo before his lack of commitment compelled the Milwaukee Bucks to trade him to the Miami Heat.”
“Yet while that chatter will likely continue until there’s another long-term commitment from the 31-year-old, team sources tell The Athletic that Jokić is still signaling a desire to remain in the Mile High City past his current contract.”
“Those sources, granted anonymity to speak candidly on the matter, say the Nuggets still have a great deal of confidence that Jokić’s stated plan to be ‘a Nugget forever’ that was shared in late April remains intact,” Amick added in the report.
The Serbian superstar ended last season second in the MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He finished the season averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists while going 56.9% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the arc. The 31-year-old, who once again averaged a triple-double, is still in the prime of his career, and the Nuggets would ideally not want him to leave either.
Although Jokic is eligible to sign a lucrative four-year, $282 million contract extension with the Nuggets this summer, the expectation is that he may wait another year to do so. The Serbian superstar would maintain more flexibility and set himself up for another huge payday in the future by postponing talks.
While declining an extension frequently prompts questions about a player’s commitment, Jokic’s circumstances seem to be different. He has previously declared that he wants to play his whole NBA career in Denver and has repeatedly expressed his love for the Nuggets organization.
Fears that he is getting ready to push his way elsewhere have been put at ease by those remarks and reports that he doesn’t feel compelled to sign right away. But it will certainly be fascinating to see what Jokic does and how big a payday he is waiting for when he signs an imminent extension, maybe next summer.
