Nikola Jokic Puts Contract Rumors to Rest With Commitment to Nuggets

Before last offseason, there was never a fear about Nikola Jokic leaving the Denver Nuggets. However, the three-time MVP declined the opportunity to sign a contract extension with the franchise in 2025. The assumption was that Jokic chose to delay his contract extension until the 2026 offseason, but now we are in the same situation.

In late June, The Stein Line's Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Jokic might hold off on an extension this offseason. After Serbia's game on Monday, Jokic confirmed that he is delaying his contract extension until next offseason, but for all the right reasons.

"My idea is to sign next summer and stay in Denver for the rest of my life (career)," Jokic told Marko Ljubomirovic (translated to English).

S obzirom da od danas slobodni agenti mogu da potpisuju ugovore sa NBA timovima, pitao sam Nikolu #Jokić-a kakvi su njegovi planovi i razmišljanja tim povodom:

"Moja ideja je da potpišem sledećeg leta i da ostanem do kraja života (karijere) u Denveru" pic.twitter.com/LXcR5gnmna
— Marko Ljubomirović (@LjubomirovicM) July 6, 2026

Jokic assures that he wants to stay in Denver for the rest of his career, even though some fans have feared that his contract delay is putting his future with the franchise at risk. The franchise itself, though, has reportedly been confident that Jokic is staying put, regardless of the failure to sign him to a new extension the past two summers.

"Nuggets have remained bullish recently that Jokic doesn’t plan on going anywhere, per team sources," The Denver Post's Bennett Durando reported. "This move allows him to opt out next summer and sign through 2032 instead of ‘31, I’m told."

By waiting to sign a new contract until next summer, he will have the opportunity to add more money and an extra year to the new deal. There will also be an underlying fear that he could simply opt out of his 2027-28 player option and hit unrestricted free agency, although there is a near-zero chance that he pulls the rug like that.

A Nugget for life

Jun 15, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) waves to the crowd during the championship parade after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Fortunately for Denver, Jokic is planning to stay put. He has already cemented himself as the greatest player in franchise history, leading them to their first-ever championship and winning three NBA MVP awards, but he is not finished.

When the reports came out that Jokic was considering holding off on a contract extension this offseason, many assumed he was putting some pressure on the Nuggets front office. After three consecutive disappointing playoff runs, the Nuggets have some work to do to build a championship contender around Jokic again, and really, he should be putting some pressure on the franchise.

Jokic, 31, is in the prime of his career, and the Nuggets cannot even reach the Western Conference Finals. There is no real reason this team should not be competing for championships every year that he is on the roster, and we should see them get back over the hump soon, as long as the front office makes the necessary moves to improve the pieces around him.

If Jokic signs the expected contract extension next offseason, he would be locked into Denver until he is 37 years old, giving the Nuggets six more seasons to compete for a title around the superstar center. Of course, by then, he could even be contemplating retirement, so this could be the last time we ever worry about Jokic's future as a Nugget.

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