Nikola Jokic starts offseason by affirming his want to stay with Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets had a brutal playoff loss on Thursday night, ending their season to an undermanned Timberwolves team but Nikola Jokic isn't going anywhere

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Apr 30, 2026, 11:03 PM

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The Denver Nuggets had a brutal playoff loss on Thursday night, ending their season to an undermanned Minnesota Timberwolves team.

Yet, even with a loss in six games, Nikola Jokic affirmed his commitment to the Nuggets.

When asked about the pending contract extension that will be on the table this summer, Jokic didn’t hesitate.

“I still want to be a Nugget forever,” Jokic said.

Pressed on whether anything about this season — the early playoff exit, the regression from contender to first-round flameout — had changed his outlook, the three-time MVP didn’t budge.

“I still want to be a Nugget forever.”

It’s a significant statement on a night that, otherwise, was about as bleak as it gets for Denver. The Nuggets fell in the Twin Cities in Game 6 to a Timberwolves team that was without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu. Minnesota still bounced them in the first round, ending Denver’s season earlier than any since 2021. Jokic was visibly disappointed at the podium, taking a heavy share of the blame himself.

“I needed to play better, and I must play better,” Jokic said when asked how much fault he felt for the season ending Thursday. “I think I was getting in rhythm from the third game, little bit better in the rhythm, but I needed to play… and then just to get everybody involved, just to get the guys open, be aggressive, score. So I mean, to give them credit, they were better this year, definitely.”

That kind of accountability isn’t unusual from Jokic. Affirmations about his future, on the other hand, carry weight in Denver — even if he’s never given indication of leaving for anything else.

Jokic is eligible this offseason to sign a supermax extension that will keep him with the Nuggets through the rest of his prime and into his decline. Thursday’s words from the expected MVP runner-up this year are the strongest possible signal yet that he intends to put pen to paper.

It’s the second time in a year Jokic has publicly committed to seeing his career out in Denver, having said as much earlier this season as well. The difference now is the timing — coming minutes after a season-ending loss, in a moment where players often hold their cards close, Jokic planted the flag.

So the goal, as it has been in Denver for years, will be to build around Jokic.