Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Is Running Out of Time to Win Another Championship

The Denver Nuggets' championship window could be closing quicker than anticipated.

Jan 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first quarter at Target Center. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

After a dominant four-year span in which he won three NBA MVP awards and one championship, it seemed like the league was in for the Nikola Jokic era. However, fast forward two years, and Jokic has fallen short of the MVP in consecutive seasons, while the Denver Nuggets have failed to make it past the second round of the playoffs.

As we get into the 2026 offseason, it seems more and more likely that Jokic and the Nuggets' championship window is closing much quicker than anyone anticipated.

A rocky core

Mar 3, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Jamal Murray (27) and forward Aaron Gordon (50) celebrate after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

For the most part, the Nuggets have done a fine job of surrounding Jokic with an impressive supporting cast. There have been some years where Jokic seemed to be doing it all on his own, as he even went his first decade in the league without an All-Star teammate, but Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon have both been ideal running mates for him.

Now, the Nuggets' core is uncertain as ever. Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke confirmed that everything is on the table this offseason, outside of trading Jokic. That means we could potentially see Murray, Gordon, and any of Jokic's other teammates on the move this summer. While it still seems unlikely that they will make any drastic changes, the core could get shaken up this offseason.

“I think that everything is gonna be on the table outside of trading Nikola [Jokic]."

Josh Kroenke on this coming offseason for the Nuggets 👀 pic.twitter.com/Iw3idHNKe5

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 8, 2026

Of course, some change could be what this Nuggets team needs, but there is no doubt that this trio of Jokic, Murray, and Gordon has worked. An injury-plagued 2025-26 season overshadowed what would have been a much more successful campaign, and giving them some more time together is likely the best decision.

An improving West

Apr 30, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Nuggets have finished in the top four of the West in each of the past four seasons, and they are the only team that has done so. However, they have not gotten past the second round since the 2023 playoffs, when they won it all. It is no secret that the rest of the conference has caught up to them, and that has especially shown this year.

We saw the Minnesota Timberwolves dominate the Nuggets in the first round of this year's playoffs, while the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are battling in the Western Conference Finals, and seem to be on a completely different level than the rest of the league. Are the Nuggets even a top-three title contender in the West anymore? It does not seem like it.

READ: NBA's Spurs-Thunder WCF Shows Exactly Why Nuggets Need Big Changes

Not to mention, the Spurs and Thunder will continue to improve around their young core, so the Nuggets will keep falling behind with their aging group, led by 31-year-old Jokic. Not to say the Nuggets must get younger to compete right now, but it just tells how small their championship window truly is.

A defensive-minded league

May 22, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts in the second half during game three of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Nuggets have had the 21st-ranked defense in the NBA in each of the past two seasons. The year they won the title, they had the 15th-ranked defense, which still felt like a major outlier compared to other past champs.

Now, as we see the Thunder and Spurs battle, it becomes even more obvious how much the Nuggets' defense must improve. The Thunder had the first-ranked defense in the league this season, while the Spurs were in third. On the other side of the bracket, the New York Knicks are two wins away from a Finals appearance after having the seventh-ranked defense.

Jokic is certainly not known for his defense, and the Nuggets need to find ways to still be a better defensive team while he is on the floor. Murray is an offensive-minded point guard, while role players who are supposed to be their defensive stoppers, like Christian Braun and Cam Johnson, did not do their jobs on that end.

The Nuggets need a better defense to get back into title contention, as even having the first-ranked offense was not enough to make up for it. That should be their main offseason goal, and if they do not succeed in bringing in better defenders, their championship window might already be shut.

With Jokic gearing up to sign a massive contract extension this offseason, the Nuggets will have the next five years to get back into title contention, but this offseason is arguably their most important.

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