Nuggets President Discusses Jokic’s Future

At a recent press conference, Josh Kroenke, president of the Nuggets, shared some thoughts about a potential worst-case scenario where Nikola Jokic could leave Denver.

Given that the Nuggets have the highest salary in the NBA, Kroenke mentioned that a trade involving three MVPs might not work out well for the organization. He noted, “I think getting into that second apron isn’t something we’re scared of,” but added that they need to be cautious. “If the wrong player gets injured, you could end up in a situation that—well, it’s not something I want to think about,” he said.

When it came to the topic of Jokic’s contract extension, Kroenke seemed a bit uncertain about whether the star player would be willing to sign it this summer. “We definitely plan to offer it,” he remarked, “but I’m not sure if he’ll accept.”

Jokic has the opportunity to sign a three-year extension worth $212 million starting in July. The 30-year-old Serbian has spent his entire NBA career in Denver and was instrumental in leading the Nuggets to their championship title in 2023.

Since that championship win, the Nuggets have faced some struggles, reaching the semi-finals of the Western Conference for two consecutive seasons. There’s also been significant turnover with the coaching staff; they let go of longtime head coach Michael Malone, right when the regular season had only three games left.

Despite those changes, the Nuggets pushed the formidable Oklahoma City Thunder to a tense seven-game series in the playoffs, nearly pulling off an upset. Over the last five MVP voting cycles, Jokic has consistently been among the top two candidates, finishing second this year to Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.