The Denver Nuggets' offseason has been an absolute treat for the Minnesota Timberwolves. After Minnesota exposed Denver's lack of defense and athleticism, the Nuggets responded by letting Peyton Watson walk for a first-round pick and signing DeMar DeRozan.
Sure, DeRozan gives them another creator, but he's an awful defender, and that was clearly the Nuggets' biggest need; thus, they got worse this summer. A fairly under-the-radar story, though, is that Nikola Jokic has a player option after this season and could feasibly leave in free agency next summer.
Recently, during a live stream with Bleacher Report, Jake Fischer spoke about the possibility that Jokic could leave in free agency.
“Nikola Jokic has deferred signing a contract extension for two straight summers right now," Fischer said. "And at this point in time, I was talking to a cap strategist about this earlier today; there are roughly eight to ten teams that are projected to have maximum salary cap space this (upcoming) summer. I’m not saying this is anything close to what we endured with Giannis over the last year plus. But Nikola Jokic is now the next potential All-NBA caliber player that teams who are planning to be cap space teams moving forward are hoping will become available based on how Denver has very clearly not improved its team this summer."
Needless to say, the Nuggets losing their three-time MVP would be devastating. For other teams in the West, especially the Timberwolves, this would of course be great news, though.
Nikola Jokic leaving the Nuggets would be delightful for the Timberwolves
To be clear, Jokic leaving the Nuggets next summer is still speculation at this stage. Nevertheless, the Timberwolves' top rival losing an all-time great talent would be nothing short of hilarious. And it would officially give the Timberwolves the last laugh over Denver in this massive rivalry.
The Timberwolves knocked the Nuggets off their throne in 2024, and as noted last playoffs, Minnesota exposed Denver's lack of defense. As such, they would have played a direct role in the Nuggets' downfall. Seeing Jokic depart in free agency would end the rivalry once and for all.
There's also bad blood between these teams given their numerous meetings in the playoffs. Things reached another level this playoff series when Jaden McDaniels called the entire Nuggets team bad defenders. By all accounts, Wolves fans and players alike would be over the moon if Jokic left and the Nuggets, in turn, crumbled.
With the playoffs and the Timberwolves fixing their biggest need by trading for LaMelo Ball, Minnesota already has the clear upper hand. If Jokic leaves next summer, though, the gap between these two squads would be immense.
Jokic leaving the Nuggets isn't that far-fetched
Even if this doesn't happen, it's a fun scenario to think about from a Timberwolves perspective. And frankly, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities.
The Nuggets are a notch below title contention and did nothing to improve their biggest weakness. Conversely, other West teams, including the Timberwolves (by trading for LaMelo Ball), addressed their biggest problems. The Los Angeles Lakers also fixed a major problem by adding Walker Kessler. Fred VanVleet's return could help the Houston Rockets.
Regarding the Timberwolves, in particular, they ensured that Anthony Edwards would remain happy by trading for Ball. Yet the Nuggets may have pushed Jokic out of town with their baffling offseason.
With Jokic, the Nuggets will always be a good regular-season team. However, with their lack of defense, they have virtually no championship equity. The Nuggets feel destined to be a first-round exit again, or, at best, they'll get exposed by the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the second-round.
Even if he can make more money in Denver, Jokic could feasibly prioritize winning next summer. And it's reasonable to believe that he could find a winning situation elsewhere.
Jokic might seem like a loyal guy and someone who might not care about winning or legacy. I don't buy this narrative for a second; to reach the level that Jokic is at, you have to be an elite competitor. After another disappointing playoff exit, Jokic could get fed up with the Nuggets' lack of success and commitment to him.
Of course, there's a lot of time between now and the next free agency cycle. My point is, though, that it's not far-fetched to suggest that Jokic might leave the Nuggets.
Without a doubt, this possibility becoming a reality would put a smile on the faces of everyone in Timberwolves Nation. Even thinking about this possibility should bring some level of joy to the Timberwolves.
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