Nikola Jokic Addresses Contract, Future amid Trade Rumors Ahead of 2026-27 NBA Season

Nikola Jokić's future with the Denver Nuggets will hover over the team until there is a long-term contract in place seeing how the 2026-27 campaign is the final one until his 2027-28 player option, but co-general manager Ben Tenzer believes the team is in a fine position.

"We feel very comfortable with the relationship, the trust there," he told reporters Monday. "We have no concerns."

Tenzer's belief seems to be warranted given Jokić's comments:

This comes after Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports reported Saturday that "no really expects Jokić to leave Denver. Waiting also makes financial sense: Next summer, he could sign a projected five-year, $360 million deal—the richest deal in NBA history."

O'Connor also noted the future Hall of Famer told reporters in Serbian in July, "My idea and desire is to stay in Denver. I'll probably sign next year."

Jokić has been with the Nuggets his entire NBA career since they selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft. He is a franchise icon and one of the best players in league history and showed no signs of slowing last season while averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

His resume includes a championship, an NBA Finals MVP, three league MVPs, eight All-NBA selections and eight All-Star nods. 

At this point, there are no indications there will be any trade requests or drama when it comes to Jokić's future. Instead, both the player and front office seem to be on the same page, which will likely result in a massive deal next offseason.

Still, it will remain a focus until that deal is in place.