Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic has made it clear he wants to spend his entire career in Denver — he just isn’t in a rush to put pen to paper this offseason.
Speaking to reporters in his home country of Serbia following a FIBA World Cup qualifying match on Monday, Jokic laid out his intentions plainly. “My idea is to sign next summer and stay with Denver for the rest of my career,” he said in Serbian. “My idea and desire is to stay in Denver. I’ll probably sign next year. … My desire is to play the rest of my life in Denver.”
The reason for the wait comes down to money. Per ESPN, Jokic becomes eligible for a five-year contract worth $359.5 million in the summer of 2027 — a deal that would shatter the record for the largest contract in NBA history. That potential payday gives the 31-year-old center good reason to pass on the current max extension available to him, which would be worth four years and $278 million.
Jokic put together another dominant season for the Nuggets in 2025-26, leading the entire league in both rebounding (12.9 per game) and assists — the latter a career-best 10.7 per game — while averaging 27.7 points across 65 games. Despite his brilliance, he finished second in MVP voting to Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second consecutive year. Jokic previously won the award in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
While Jokic led Denver to the NBA championship in 2023, this past season ended in disappointment. The Nuggets finished third in the Western Conference but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
On Monday in Belgrade, Jokic delivered a strong performance for the Serbian national team, recording 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 94-81 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
