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By Aman Sharma
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Nikola Jokic probably isn’t leaving Denver, but nobody can promise he’ll stay for the long haul.
Tim Kawakami floated that uncertainty on “The TK Show” in an episode with Sam Amick of The Athletic, saying the Denver Nuggets have no assurance their star center will sign a long-term extension.
Kawakami said the talk had been circulating for some time.
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“I’ve been hearing this for a little while. It’s an open thing. It’s an open thing. He’s very likely to go back to Denver, but it’s an open thing,” Kawakami said. “There’s nothing guaranteed about him going back to sign a long extension with Denver.”
Jokic has voiced his commitment to Denver for next season, which fits Kawakami’s view that a return remains the likeliest outcome.
His contract history explains the doubt. The 31-year-old was eligible for a three-year, $200 million extension in 2025, then turned down a four-year, $278 million offer last offseason.
Bigger money is waiting. Next offseason, Jokic becomes eligible for a five-year supermax projected at $359.5 million to $388 million, with the final season alone paying $80 million or more.
The timeline is his, too. Jokic holds a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, so the decision on whether he reaches free agency next summer belongs to him alone.
On the court, his production hasn’t slipped. In a 110-100 loss to the Houston Rockets, Jokic piled up 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 16 rebounds, nine assists, a steal and two blocks in 39 minutes.
He went 1 of 5 from 3-point range and came up one assist short of a triple-double.
Across his last five games, he’s averaging 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.4 steals, with one triple-double and three double-doubles in that stretch.
Denver opened 2026-27 at 5-4, and Jokic can’t sign the supermax until next offseason, leaving months for the Nuggets to make their case.
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