The unprecedented rivalry between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets paused with the stunning first-round exit that has sent shockwaves through the Mile High City. Against injuries, ejections, and petty tactics, the Wolves won 110-98 and have extended their all-time playoff record against Denver to 3-1. So they aren’t answering the burning questions. That would be left for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. After the heated viral moments he made this series, he was uncharacteristically somber at his final post-game presser of the season. Yet, his usual bluntness was far from dull.
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Jokic had a straightforward assessment of the Denver Nuggets’ current standing against most teams in the league. When asked about the team’s proximity to championship contention after their season ended prematurely, Jokic did not mince words. “We just lost in the first round. I think we are far away,” Jokic stated.
His most striking comment, however, gave a glimpse into the high-stakes pressure of his home basketball culture, where consequences for such a failure would be much swifter. He was asked if changes are coming to the Nuggets, and he said, “That’s not my decision. Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all be fired.”
Considering the Nuggets fired a coach mid-playoffs last year, this comment should send a chill down a few spines. Maybe The Joker does want some changes. Maybe he’s joking (he has a dark sense of humor). Maybe it’s just a reality check to the lofty aspirations they had until Jokic’s injury at the end of 2025. Yet despite his ‘firing’ comment, Jokic spent most of the presser refusing to blame his injured teammates for the loss.
Nikola Jokic: “We just lost in the first round. I think we are far away.” Changes needed? “That’s not my decision. Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all be fired.”
Instead of a deep playoff run, the Nuggets are left searching for answers. A big one that needs answering is Nikola Jokic’s future with the team. Despite the immediate sting of the loss, Jokic didn’t waste his time declaring his personal commitment to the organization.
When questioned if the disappointing finish altered his long-term outlook, specifically with a massive extension looming this offseason, Jokic answered two separate questions with the same sentence: “I still want to be Nuggets forever.”
That may be an indication of how the offseason will go for Jokic, at least. But the fate of the rest of the team is still up in the air.
A contract negotiation on Nikola Jokic’s to-do list
In the entire series, Nikola Jokic has used the post-game media platform to make a point as much as on the court. From pointedly responding to the Game 2 scuffle with Rudy Gobert with “next question” to calling out Jaden McDaniels’ player etiquette in Game 3, followed by his petty attempt to reset the shot clock in Game 4, and even a questionable shove tonight, The Joker brought a lot of intensity to the series both in word and action.
His comments tonight need to be taken seriously.
Despite losing key players Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo to season-ending injuries, the Wolves sealed the end of the Nuggets’ season in Game 6. The consensus online is that the Nuggets’ shortcomings against an understaffed Minnesota, Jokic’s own difficulties against Rudy Gobert’s defensive skills, squandering fourth quarters, and their frequent trips to the free-throw line prove Jokic’s point that this time is far from the squad that beat the Wolves in 2023 on the way to the championship.
While Jokic continued to produce elite numbers, the supporting cast struggled to be consistent. The loss not only ends Denver’s season but also triggers a pivotal summer regarding the team’s financial structure. Jokic is currently playing under a five-year, $276 million supermax contract signed in 2022, which includes a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
As of the 2026 offseason, he is eligible to negotiate an extension. Given his pledge tonight, Nuggets fans could be hopeful he’d stay in Denver through the end of the decade.
