It's that time again. After Nikola Jokic turned down the opportunity to sign a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets in each of the past two offseasons, rumors continue to swirl about his uncertain future with the franchise.

Jokic has confirmed that he is waiting until next offseason to sign a new contract with the Nuggets, but by doing so, he will have to decline his 2027-28 player option. This means Jokic will have the opportunity to hit unrestricted free agency and potentially find a new home if he changes his mind about staying in Denver.

NBA insider Tim Kawakami said on The TK Show that rival teams should keep an open mind about potentially snagging Jokic from Denver because there is no guarantee he re-signs with the Nuggets.

"I’ve been hearing this for a little while. It’s an open thing. It’s an open thing. He’s very likely to go back to Denver, but it’s an open thing. There’s nothing guaranteed about him going back to sign a long extension with Denver. He is a free agent," Kawakami said last week.

It’s not guaranteed that Nikola Jokic will re-sign with Denver, per @timkawakami

“I’ve been hearing this for a little while. It’s an open thing. It’s an open thing. He’s very likely to go back to Denver, but it’s an open thing. There’s nothing guaranteed about him going back to… pic.twitter.com/i7BNnxd3Ku

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 10, 2026

Even with the consistent rumors about Jokic's uncertain future with the Nuggets, fans should not be concerned. While the three-time MVP will be a free agent next offseason, there is a very low chance he will even entertain the idea of leaving the Nuggets for another team, even if the rest of the league is interested.

"Twenty-nine executives are not doing their job if they're not constantly thinking about how to get Jokic on their team," one NBA executive told The Ringer's Howard Beck.

Jokic has already verbally committed to Denver

Sure, the Nuggets have to wait until next summer for Jokic to put pen to paper, but he has continued to assure the organization that he does not want to leave.

"I'm gonna sign next year if they want me," Jokic said at the Nuggets' media day in late September.

"I'm going to sign next year."

- Nikola Jokic just now at Media Day 🃏✍️ pic.twitter.com/xQ5ZqwALu5

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) September 28, 2026

Jokic confirmed he will sign with the Nuggets next offseason "if they want" him, and why would they not? The only path for the Nuggets to keep their championship window open is to keep the superstar center, so letting him walk for nothing is obviously not in the cards. If anything, it will come down to Jokic potentially changing his mind, but he has stayed consistent about wanting to stay.

"My idea is to sign next summer and stay in Denver for the rest of my life," Jokic said in early July, when there was more doubt about his future with the franchise than there should've been.

Even though Jokic will be a free agent, we should not worry about him leaving. By staying in Denver, he will be eligible for a historic five-year contract worth about $360 million, and it is very hard to imagine him turning that down and leaving the franchise he has spent the last 12 years with.

Unfortunately for Nuggets fans, this will continue to be a topic of conversation until he actually signs a contract, but keep in mind, there should be nothing to worry about.