Nuggets Need to Learn From Bucks-Giannis Divorce to Keep Nikola Jokic

This offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks and superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo finally split up. It felt like it was only a matter of time until the two-time MVP was out of Milwaukee, even though there was most people used to believe he would be a Buck for life. Now, the Denver Nuggets need to make sure the same thing does not happen with Nikola Jokic.

In each of the past two offseasons, Jokic has turned down the opportunity to sign a contract extension with the Nuggets. Granted, by waiting until 2027, he will be eligible to sign a historic five-year, $359.5 million contract, but this puts the Nuggets in a situation they do not want to be in. In 2027, Jokic will also have the opportunity to decline his 2027-28 player option and hit unrestricted free agency, or at least put pressure on the Nuggets' front office to find a trade for him.

Of course, that is the worst-case scenario that is extremely unlikely, but it is hard to turn a blind eye to that possibility. The Nuggets are certainly keeping it in the back of their mind, and all they can do is make sure they give Jokic a reason to stay in Denver.

Learning from the Bucks' mistake with Giannis

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo — Feb 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks to pass the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN's Ben Golliver laid out a bold prediction for the Nuggets' next three years, saying that he believes the Nuggets will follow Milwaukee's steps by trading away Jamal Murray in an attempt to keep Jokic happy and the team competitive.

"The Nuggets will decide they have no choice but to split up Jokic and Murray. Denver's dynamic duo has been together since 2016, but another poor offseason has left the Nuggets at risk of backsliding further from the heights of their 2023 title. During Antetokounmpo's final years in Milwaukee, the Bucks parted with Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard as they frantically attempted to get back to their winning ways. Murray could easily become a casualty of the same desperation," Golliver wrote.

Of course, this would be a mistake. We saw what happened when the Bucks tried this, and it seemingly only increased Antetokounmpo's desire to leave. Jokic and Murray have secured their spot as one of the NBA's top duos, and splitting them up without the go-ahead from the three-time MVP would be a misjudgment.

NIKOLA JOKIC & JAMAL MURRAY DROPPED VIDEO GAME NUMBERS IN DENVER 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/XoXB71fOCy
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 26, 2026

There were already some fans vouching for the Nuggets to trade away Murray this offseason, although most of that stemmed from overreactions to his disappointing playoff performance. Murray is still coming off a career year, in which he proved to be one of the league's top point guards. Until there is evidence that this duo cannot compete for a title, the Nuggets will keep them together.

Sure, another underwhelming outcome in 2027 could certainly fuel those conversations, but trading Murray away for the sole purpose of keeping Jokic happy in Denver seems like an obvious mistake. Since 2016, there has been one constant in Denver for Jokic, and that is Murray. Breaking that up might only further convince him to leave.

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