Nuggets owe Nikola Jokic a lot, and this offseason proves they know it

The Denver Nuggets' selection of Nikola Jokic with the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft fundamentally transformed the franchise, rescuing it from irrelevance and delivering its first NBA championship. Jokic, widely regarded as the best basketball player on Earth, has won three of the last five MVP awards, with a strong argument he deserved five consecutive MVPs. His era represents an unprecedented and unrepeatable run of success for the Nuggets.

Jokic cemented his legacy by carrying the team to the 2023 NBA championship and Finals MVP, defying expectations in a league not originally built for teams like Denver to win. However, the past two seasons ended in frustrating back-to-back Game 7 losses in the second round, leaving even Jokic perplexed and marking the first perceived cracks in his Nuggets era. These losses cast doubt on the previously assumed certainty that Jokic, seemingly always content in Denver, would spend his entire career with the team.

This uncertainty was amplified when owner Josh Kroenke made a concerning comment about the "doomsday scenario" of trading Jokic. Combined with the anonymity of the new front office leadership (Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace), these developments have understandably caused significant nervousness among the fanbase.