The Denver Nuggets enter this offseason with multiple problems. They’re sitting just $2 million under the second apron, with only 10 players under contract, and Nikola Jokic’s decision is now adding more pressure to an already complicated next few weeks. According to league insiders, the Joker is considering delaying his contract extension for a second consecutive summer…

“Jokic informed the Nuggets around this time last year that he preferred to delay contract extension talks for another year,” Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported. “The Stein Line has learned that it is under consideration again this summer: Electing to take the same step and holding off on extension talks.”

As of now, it does not appear to be about defection, really. Jokic said after Denver’s first-round exit against Minnesota: “I want to be a Nugget forever.” Nuggets executive VP Ben Tenzer echoed that publicly, saying the organization feels “really comfortable” with its relationship with the Serbian.

The logic for waiting instead centers on the fact that last summer, the available extension was a three-year deal worth about $215 million; this summer, Denver can offer a four-year extension worth nearly $280 million. By waiting again, Jokic keeps a similar figure for next summer and also enters 2027 with a $62.8 million player option, meaning free agency is just a year away if he decides to go. For the Nuggets, however, the lack of a long-term commitment, no matter how well-intentioned, forces their hand on roster building right now.

“Sources say that the Nuggets have at least internally discussed whether they have the asset wherewithal to join the trade chase for Boston’s Jaylen Brown, but the Nuggets have yet to emerge as a bona fide landing spot for the Celtics’ MVP candidate,” the insiders further reported.

Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 2025-26 and carries a cap hit of $57 million next season. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Boston has been asking for at least four first-round picks in trade discussions. But Denver does not control its 2027 or 2029 first-round picks, making it nearly impossible to satisfy that ask.

Pairing Brown with Jokic, though, would give Denver an elite two-way wing alongside the most gifted offensive center in the game. So, while the Nuggets have explored the idea, at this point, that is all it is.

Re-pivoting our focus, even though the Nuggets have no confirmation yet on Jokic’s extension, here is one reality to consider. If the Serb were to tear his Achilles or suffer a season-ending injury, is Denver going to change its mind about building around him? Probably not. He will still get his lucrative deal.

Jokic’s situation is very, very different from that of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, where the owners literally issued an ultimatum that they’d either trade or extend their ace. Jokic has a connection to Denver that’s far deeper than winning the Larry O’Brien trophy.

“I really found peace here,” Jokić said on the X&O’s CHAT podcast a few months ago. “My two kids were born here. Everyone’s here. Peace, home, I found my life here. And I like life here. I don’t feel the need, I don’t have the urge to. We built something here, together as a team.”

At the end of the day, though, an NBA player’s greatest asset is to stay healthy. Jokic played 65 games last season, barely making the All-NBA award threshold. He is 31 now and obviously isn’t getting any younger. But the Nuggets would want to win more with the Serb at the helm. That said, Denver hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since winning the championship in 2023. They are going to have to make tough decisions before next season.

What are the other problems for the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic?

The immediate pressure point is restricted free agent Peyton Watson. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Denver is expected to offer Watson around $28-30 million per year. Stein and Fischer also noted that an offer sheet in the $30 million range might be enough for Denver to balk at matching, with the LA Clippers, Lakers, Bulls, and Nets all considering pursuits.

The cap math is the problem. Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million extension kicks in this summer at roughly $25 million annually, and Cam Johnson carries a $23 million expiring deal. Per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, the belief around the league is that one of them is likely to be moved to create room for Watson.

Braun averaged 12.0 points and 4.8 rebounds last season and has become the harder contract to move, likely requiring Denver to attach assets to get off it. Johnson, on an expiring deal, is the cleaner trade candidate. The Nuggets could save $10 million by waiving Jonas Valanciunas, but they’d need to then fill another roster spot.

Aaron Gordon, owed $31 million, has also drawn the most external trade interest of any Nugget this offseason, per reports. However, moving him risks the chemistry he has built with Jokic over five seasons.