Clippers Can Dream About Nikola Jokic After Nuggets' 1st Round Embarrassment

The NBA Playoffs have had a fair share of first-round upsets. The Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets both lost series that they were heavily favored in, and the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are all facing Game 7 against seemingly inferior opponents.

Big upsets beget big changes. When contenders fail so early and miserably, it has a big impact on the future of the franchise. The Nuggets will certainly feel it this offseason. This could give Clippers fans some hope of potentially landing Nikola Jokic.

After Denver's elimination in Game 6, Jokic was asked about his future with the Nuggets. He said that he wanted to be a Nugget forever. When he was asked whether he would sign an extension this summer, however, instead of saying "yes," he repeated the line about wanting to be a Nugget forever.

This could be nothing, but it could also mean that Jokic can be closer to being on his way out than he has ever been since arriving in Denver.

Clippers Are One of Many Teams Monitoring the Nikola Jokic Situation in Denver

The 31-year-old center must be seeing the writing on the wall. The Nuggets were just outclassed by a Minnesota team without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo. They are nowhere near title contention, and they have very little means to improve.

Jamal Murray is 29 and will make over $50 million in each of the next three seasons. Aaron Gordon can't seem to be able to stay healthy for the playoffs and is due $31.9 million next season. Christian Braun's contract extension looks like an awful deal for the Nuggets, and the Cam Johnson trade hasn't worked out at all. The ownership is notably cheap and hesitant to pay the luxury tax.

There aren't sufficient assets or draft capital in the team's coffers to make a serious upgrade in the offseason.

If Jokic can't see a scenario in which he can compete for a championship in Denver, could he be on the move?

The three-time MVP has one more year left on his contract and has a player option for the 2027-28 season. The Nuggets will obviously not trade Jokic unless he explicitly demands it. But if he isn't willing to sign an extension this summer, a trade certainly can't be ruled out.

The Clippers, along with most of the league, will be interested in Jokic's services. But they may be in a better position to acquire the Serbian star than most. The Clippers have the flexibility to create the cap space to trade for Jokic this summer, and can trade four first-round picks. They also have a desperate need at center, and could give Jokic a title contender with Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard as running mates.

A scenario in which Jokic plays for the Nuggets for another season and hits unrestricted free agency next summer. At that point, the Clippers could still be in the mix. They can keep their powder dry this offseason and not sign any long-term salaries. LA could then give Jokic the maximum contract he is looking for.

There is obviously no guarantee that Jokic will have interest in joining the Clippers. He has expressed no intention of playing outside Denver in his career. But we have seen this movie before with Damian Lillard, and we will likely see it with Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. Things change quickly in the NBA, and fanbases can only dream.

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