Jokic's Commitment Buys Denver Time to Solve Its Fifth Spot
Denver's newest passing puzzle isn't about talent — it's about whether Jokic's long-term commitment gives Adelman room to sort out who plays alongside him at power forward.
Nikola Jokic told reporters at media day he intends to sign an extension next summer, according to Hoops Rumors' Bennett Durando, easing the pressure around Denver's most important passing relationship before a game has been played. What still needs sorting is who surrounds him: Aaron Gordon's health, three new frontcourt names, and a five-man group that hasn't logged a single minute together.
The Hub Isn't Going Anywhere
Jokic said at media day he plans to sign an extension next summer, 'if they want me,' a quote Bennett Durando reported for Hoops Rumors and outlets across the beat repeated through the day. For a team built around how well four other players read a 31-year-old center, that removes the one variable that could have unsettled everything else. Denver's offense last season was the league's best, run largely through him; nothing about that changes with the calendar.
Braun and DeRozan Are Reworking the Math
DeMar DeRozan spoke this week about initiating offense himself rather than only finishing possessions, per Nugg Love, a shift from his usual role as a play-in scorer. Christian Braun, meanwhile, has talked about what a more reliable three-point shot opens up for him off movement. Neither change means much in isolation, but together they suggest Adelman wants more than one read at the top of a possession — not just Jokic deciding where the ball goes.
Three New Faces, No Shared History
Emanuel Miller signed September 25. So did Coleman Hawkins. So did Dane Goodwin — the group that stuck after Denver churned through Reese Dixon-Waters, Keonte Jones and Boopie Miller earlier in the month, each gone within days of arriving. None of the three has played a possession with this core, and passing chemistry is the one thing camp reps can't fake.
The Question Still Open
Aaron Gordon's designation flipped from day-to-day to cleared and back within a single week in September, and it remains unresolved as camp opens. Gordon is the connective piece in Denver's four-out sets — the forward who has to read Jokic from the weak side. Until he's cleared for good, nobody knows which five will actually share the floor first.
Is Nikola Jokic signing a contract extension with the Nuggets?
He said at media day he intends to sign one next summer, though no new deal has been completed yet.
Who are the newest players on the Nuggets' roster?
Dane Goodwin, Emanuel Miller, and Coleman Hawkins all signed September 25, after several other camp additions left within days of arriving.
