When it’s all set and one, Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic will go down as one of the best big men in NBA history.
The 6’11, 284 pounds player has won the regular sesason MVP three times due to his dominance on the court, a stat that has put him at the top of the Fantasy Basketball Early Top 100 Rankings.
During the 2024-2025 regular season, he appeared in 79 games (all starts) while averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes and shooting 58.3% from the field and 81.7% from the free-throw line, which got him selected to the All-Star game.
Cousins drops a shocking claim
Former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins revealed that Nikola Jokic almost retired instead of signing his supermax deal with the Denver Nuggets. Cousins, who shared a locker room with the MVP in 2022, said Jokic told him basketball isn’t really his passion.
The Serbian superstar reportedly said, “I might retire after this contract,” reflecting a casual approach to the game. Cousins emphasized that Jokic openly admits he doesn’t care much about basketball, as he values family and time on his country as more important.
Despite Denver offering a three-year, $212 million extension, Jokic declined. He will play the 2025-26 season with three years and $177 million left on his deal, leaving fans and the franchise wondering about his long-term commitment.
A hurtful departure for the Nuggets
On early July, the Denver Nuggets traded a key piece of its 2023 championship team, Michael Porter Jr., to the Brooklyn Nets along with an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. The player’s departure is a stunning development for a team just two years removed from winning the NBA championship.
The 15th overall pick in the 2018 Draft, Porter Jr. averaged a career-high 18.2 points while shooting 50.4% overall and 39.5% from 3-point range last season. Since their championship breakthrough, the Nuggets, however, have had difficulty retaining quality role players around three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
The free agent losses of Brown,Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have depleted Denver’s depth, and the team has been eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals in each of the last two seasons.
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