The Denver Nuggets have had a much busier offseason than many anticipated. They were able to get off Michael Porter Jr.'s contract by attaching a 2032 first-round pick, which brought them Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets. That trade alone saved them over $17 million and gave them an arguably better fit with the team, and gave them a lot of flexibility to make other moves.
With that extra space, they were able to trade Dario Saric, who wasn't in the rotation at all last year, to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas, sign Tim Hardaway Jr., and bring back old friend Bruce Brown. They have a legitimate rotation right now, even as they try to convince Valanciunas not to go overseas.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic
May 18, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) runs down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter during game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
But how does Nikola Jokic feel about these moves? He hasn't released a public statement, and probably won't say anything about it for as long as possible, but these moves were made with him in mind.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst gave some insight on that on the latest "Hoop Collective" podcast with Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps.
"Mr. Jokic has not spoken on the record, at least in English, about this that I've seen, but I was told through secondhand that Jokic was very pleased with the Nuggets' moves," Windhorst said.
Assuming Valanciunas makes his way to Denver, he'll be the best backup Jokic has had since he established himself in Denver. Jokic was worn out by the end of last season, and having someone who can let him rest for 15 minutes a game would be massive. However, Valanciunas is flirting with going back to Europe if a buyout can be negotiated, something the Nuggets aren't interested in right now.
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