Nikola Jokic voices desire 'to be with the Nuggets forever'

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has no desire to leave the Denver Nuggets.

Jokic affirmed his commitment to the franchise at Denver's season-opening media day. The Serbian star center was asked if he'd sign a max extension next offseason that could pay him close to $300 million over four years.

"I don't think about that. I think those contracts, extensions come as a reward, as something that is natural to the sport, especially in today's NBA with where you see the salary cap is going," Jokic, 30, said Monday as he ruled out a seismic future move.

"My plan is to be with the Nuggets forever, so that's my answer."

Denver drafted Jokic with the 41st overall pick in 2014. He's averaged more than 24 points and 10 rebounds for five consecutive seasons and was named Finals MVP when the Nuggets clinched the 2023 championship, a franchise first.

The Nuggets are coming off a third straight 50-win campaign but were routed in Game 7 of the second round by the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder. They retooled Jokic's supporting cast in the summer by trading Michael Porter Jr. -- a cornerstone of the 2023 title team -- to the Brooklyn Nets and parting with aging guard Russell Westbrook, who remains unsigned.

Depth pieces DeAndre Jordan, Vlatko Cancar and Dario Saric no longer surround Jokic in the frontcourt.

"There's a bunch of my friends that left -- DJ, Russ, Vlatko, Dario -- so I need to find some new friends," Jokic joked Monday.

Denver's biggest addition, sweet-shooting power forward Cam Johnson, was the Nets' second-leading scorer with 18.8 points per game in 2024-25. A familiar face, versatile forward Bruce Brown, returned to the Nuggets after bouncing from Indiana to Toronto to New Orleans over the past two seasons.

They'll complement the returning core of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, who helped Denver rank third in scoring last season while masking the squad's defensive deficiencies.

"Your best players have to demand what the vibe will be daily," said David Adelman, who enters his first full season as the Nuggets' head coach.

"They can't go into a shell and only worry about how they're doing ... They have to maintenance the team as much as I do."

--Field Level Media