Jokic’s friend, rumored to land in Denver, picks other West team

One of Nikola Jokic’s good Serbian buddy’s who has long been linked to Denver has gone another route.

Longtime NBA shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has signed a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN.

So much for the reunion.

Bogdanovic, 33, spent the past few years as one of the most obvious fits for the Nuggets — a sharpshooting wing with deep ties to Jokic through the Serbian national team. Instead, he’s headed to a Rockets club that disappointed last year but has tons of talent.

Bogdanovic is a veteran of nine NBA seasons and most recently played for the LA Clippers, who declined his team option last week to make him a free agent. In Houston, the Rockets add a two-guard who can handle the ball and shoot from distance — a need for just about every team in the league.

His minutes have shrunk lately as injuries piled up. He’s appeared in just 77 games over the last two seasons. For his career, the 6-foot-5 wing has averaged 14 points and shot 38.1% from 3.

The smoke has been real for years in Denver. Bogdanovic and Jokic go way back — silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the 2019 FIBA World Cup, bronze at Paris 2024 — and both had hinted at wanting to team up.

Serbian outlet Meridian Sport had reported Denver was “eagerly waiting” on the free agency window to start the chase.

The friendship angle mattered, too. Jokic said as much last season.

“There’s a bunch of my friends who left — DJ, Russ, Vlatko, Russ, Dario. So I need to find some new friends,” Jokic said before the season started.

But the Nuggets’ front office had been signaling a different plan all along. EVP of Basketball Operations Ben Tenzer talked up “length, athleticism, physicality” and improved defense — none of which described Bogdanovic at this stage.

Turns out the fit was always more about friendship and floor-spacing than the blueprint. Now it’s Houston’s bet to make. The Nuggets have yet to make a move, as night one of free agency ends.

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