The Denver Nuggets are in possibly the worst financial position in the entire league. A complete lack of foresight and planning is wasting the prime of one of the greatest players in the history of the league, Nikola Jokic. And it seems like the franchise has honestly given up on winning with him.
Jokic was notoriously drafted 41st overall in 2014 by the Nuggets during a Taco Bell commercial. It was a rather poignant moment as it highlighted the lack of faith the NBA as a whole had in it. As it turned out, the Nuggets front office was more than a little prescient when it came to this pick.
Now 11 years into his career, Jokic is an NBA Champion, an NBA Finals MVP, a three-time NBA MVP, an eight-time All-Star, and a six-time member of the All-NBA First Team. On top of that, he was also both the league's rebounding leader and assists leader in 2026.
The Nugget's financial situation is borderline impossible
This is a man who is arguably the best NBA player of the 2020s, and it's hard to dispute that. Yet, Jokic only has one title thanks to the poor planning of the Nuggets as a franchise. The absurd contracts they've handed out to various players have left them unable to build around the Joker.
The current Denver payroll is sitting around $218 million, putting them well into the second apron. For the upcoming season, the league's maximum salary cap is $164.9 million. Being a repeat offender will incur significant penalties and push the Nuggets into the $300 million range for this season.
As it turns out, distributing massive contracts like candy at Halloween is a bad way to run an NBA franchise. This has left the Nuggets completely unable to build a winner around Jokic. The only reason they keep making the postseason is that he drags them over the finish line every season.
The Nuggets have failed Nikola Jokic
Despite all of this, Jokic maintains that he'd rather lose in Denver than play anywhere else for a title. He has yet to sign an extension with the team. The reported plan is for him to take a massive deal in the 2027 offseason after becoming a free agent worth $359 million over five years.
The financials of keeping Jokic mean that the Nuggets will have a lot of problems being able to build a team around Jokic. It's a real Catch-22 situation. They created this situation themselves, essentially frittering away the prime years of one of the greatest players in the NBA.
The Lakers may come knocking on the Joker's door. A chance to win a title with Luka Doncic might be enough to get him to move on from Denver. It's something he should be considering regardless. A player of the caliber of Joker retiring with only one championship is a crime against basketball.
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