THE DENVER NUGGETS` star player sat at his locker after a preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, lost in thought.
Nikola Jokic`s persistently sore right wrist was iced, making phone texting difficult. He quit social media years ago, so there was nothing to browse. And unusually, he wasn`t wearing headphones. Very little sound was entering — or leaving — the NBA`s three-time MVP`s space.
For a decade, Jokic has used the same locker, quietly doing his job, rarely causing any drama. He`s the kind of dependable, foundational superstar franchises dream of. He doesn`t use social media to pressure management. He doesn`t leak stories or have people complain about a supposed `desire to win.` He doesn`t insult his teammate, Jamal Murray, for not being aggressive enough.
If he has opinions about the tension between the Nuggets` management and coaching staff regarding how to best extend his prime, he’s keeping them to himself. `That’s not my job,` Jokic stated in an interview. `I’m just trying to play basketball, and I`m happy if we have a chance every year.`
Everyone in Denver understands the importance of this season. General Manager Calvin Booth mentioned they are five years into what they hope will be a 10-year prime for Jokic. So far, Jokic has been exceptional, averaging career-highs of 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists in 39 minutes over four games.
The Nuggets` ownership has historically avoided luxury taxes, and the front office faces restrictions due to the NBA`s collective bargaining agreement. They`ve lost key players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Reggie Jackson from their championship-winning 2022-23 roster. This talent drain has strained the relationship between coach Michael Malone and a front office with limited financial flexibility.
`There was this strong desire to compete, especially from the players, coaches, and myself,` Booth told ESPN. `You want to win, especially after winning a championship. That`s probably where the tension began.`
`What are we trying to do? Are we aiming to win? Are we focusing on development? Everyone started with good intentions and commitment. But the focus on competition can distract from that commitment.`
Back in the locker room, Jokic remained quiet. His team had just lost to the Suns, even though Phoenix didn`t play their top stars. His coach publicly criticized the team`s conditioning after the game, saying he kept the starters in to improve it.
Questions lingered about the Nuggets` shooting, depth, and whether the younger players, expected to replace key contributors from the 2023 title team, could truly step up.
`I think people generally always want more, but they don’t appreciate what they have,` Jokic said. `I’m really happy we won one title – many great players never win.`
However, the Nuggets possess the best player in the world, whose prime, by Booth`s own estimate, is already halfway through.
This raises a crucial question for the NBA: How do they maximize the remaining years of his prime?
`If we don’t win this year,` forward Michael Porter Jr. told ESPN. `We all know they might have to break it up.`
BOOTH UNDERSTANDS THE dilemma of balancing winning now with developing younger players—a common challenge for championship-level teams.
The Golden State Warriors have faced a similar situation, trying to develop young talent while maximizing Stephen Curry’s championship window. This `two-timeline` approach has caused internal and external friction.
`It’s tough,` Booth said. `As a coach, you’re focused on winning the next game and prefer proven players. Conceptually, the idea of developing young players sounds good, and coaches agree, but when competition starts, it’s understandable why [Malone] sometimes struggles with it.`
`There are no villains here. We performed well in the regular season and gave young players significant time. We essentially achieved our goals. Our team is in a good position because of it.`
After losing to Minnesota in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last season, after blowing a 20-point lead, the Nuggets became the fifth straight defending champion to fail to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
By the end of that season, Murray was playing `basically on one leg,` according to a team source. Aaron Gordon had a shoulder problem. Jokic`s wrist was hurting badly. Caldwell-Pope had hamstring issues.
When it was time to close out the Timberwolves, the Nuggets were depleted. The veterans were exhausted, and the young players who were supposed to provide energy didn`t.
`It’s about desire and effort,` Gordon told ESPN. `Championships are hard to win. We just need to play incredibly hard.`
Malone`s lack of trust in younger players was evident in Game 7. Only Christian Braun played significant minutes, contributing just 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther didn`t play at all.
`I sympathize with Mike because rookies are often not very good early in their NBA careers,` a rival general manager told ESPN. `Typically, players aren`t playoff contributors until their second year, and that’s for some of the better draft picks.`
After the 2023-24 season, the Nuggets` front office doubled down on their plan to build around the core with younger drafted players, but not before considering other options.
League sources indicated the Nuggets inquired about Paul George in the offseason. However, talks stalled because Denver refused to include Braun, Watson, or Strawther in any deal, and the Clippers weren`t interested in just taking on future salary, like Porter`s and Nnaji`s contracts.
Zeke Nnaji, the Nuggets’ fifth-highest-paid player, exemplifies the disconnect between Booth’s strategy and Malone’s on-court decisions.
In his rookie season (2020-21), Nnaji shot almost 41% from three-point range. In his second season, he shot over 46%, leading to a four-year, $32 million extension with the expectation he would become a key backup to Jokic.
However, after signing the extension, Nnaji’s minutes decreased, and his three-point percentage dropped to 26.5%. He played only 14 playoff minutes in 2024. This season, he`s played in just one of the first four games.
These are the gambles that must pay off for the long-term plan to succeed, but they are hard to accept when facing salary cap constraints and a superstar ready to win now.
`I think winning a championship is a mix of experience and energy,` Booth said. `Younger players often bring that energy.`
This combination requires the core four players to be great and healthy. So far, only Jokic and Gordon have consistently performed. Porter is shooting poorly at 39.6% overall and 29.6% from three, averaging a career-low 13.3 points as a starter.
Murray’s subpar performance is even more concerning. The Nuggets have consistently supported him through injuries and inconsistency. He rewarded them with his best basketball during their championship run.
They showed faith again by signing him to a max $208 million extension despite a disappointing 2024 playoffs and Olympics. Denver expected him to come into camp motivated. Instead, sources say he has struggled with his shot and conditioning, worrying the Nuggets. In his first four games, Murray shot just 37.9% overall and 35% from three.
`The only way they will win is if Murray plays at a high level,` a rival executive told ESPN. `Jokic is the best player, but they’ll overuse him if he keeps playing this many minutes.`
BOOTH’S OFFICE at Ball Arena is surprisingly bare for an executive with his recent success. It features simple black furniture, empty walls, and a view of downtown Denver. A cabinet holds books, memorabilia, and championship champagne, reminders of their 2022-23 triumph.
The office`s simplicity suggests ongoing ambitions. Booth is expected to shape the Nuggets` future, with contract extension talks underway, according to sources, and a deal anticipated soon.
Booth made his mark during the 2022-23 championship season by bringing in eight new players to a roster that had underperformed in playoffs, except for a conference finals run in 2020. None were stars, but each played a crucial role in the championship.
Booth, a former role player, understood how veterans like Brown, Green, and Caldwell-Pope would complement the core of Jokic, Porter, Murray, and Gordon.
By then, Jokic had won two MVP awards for his individual brilliance and ability to carry the team while Murray was injured. It was time to add talent and the right role players. `It’s pressure,` Booth said. `But it’s healthy pressure. I enjoy challenges. Problem-solving is a fun part of the job.`
A book in Booth’s office, `Barking Up the Wrong Tree,` hints at his approach to roster building around Jokic under the new CBA. It uses data and science to question traditional beliefs about success.
Booth adopted this approach when he succeeded Tim Connelly in 2022. He created a 34-page report analyzing past champions for trends in height, age, and roster makeup.
He continued this strategy in the past two offseasons, letting championship role players leave in free agency, prioritizing core player extensions and giving minutes to younger, cost-controlled players like Braun, Watson, and Strawther.
`Part of the plan with Christian and Peyton was,` Booth said, `I always envisioned them guarding [Boston Celtics wings] Jayson [Tatum] and Jaylen [Brown].`
He believed, and still does, these players can contribute to the Nuggets` next title team.
`There’s a misconception that championship teams don’t play young players,` Booth said. `That’s incorrect. Tony Parker played significant minutes as a rookie in the playoffs. The Spurs won a title the next year with Tony, Speedy Claxton, and Manu Ginobili playing key roles. In 2009-10, the Lakers played Trevor Ariza and a young Andrew Bynum.`
Braun wasn’t a major contributor in 2023 but scored 15 points in Game 3 of the Finals. The Nuggets, with an average age of 27 years and 297 days, were the second-youngest NBA champions since 2000, just after the 2008-09 Lakers.
The third-youngest team since 2000? The 2014-15 Warriors, the start of a dynasty.
MALONE IS DIFFERENT. He is intensely competitive, even about minor things. He’s eighth in wins among current coaches and fourth-longest-tenured, with 12 championships among his peers (Popovich, Spoelstra, Kerr).
Malone, Booth, and owner Josh Kroenke held a press conference in May to show unity amid rumors of tension.
But Malone’s job is to win, and he openly points out team weaknesses.
After a preseason loss to the Suns, Malone said his team was out of shape and criticized the NBA for being `soft` about conditioning in preseason. After another preseason loss to Oklahoma City, he questioned their motivation to avenge the playoff loss to Minnesota.
After poor shooting performances to start the season, Malone mentioned Caldwell-Pope’s absence in a press conference.
`Shooting was a concern going into the season,` Malone said. `Losing a 40% three-point shooter like KCP is significant. Christian Braun is good, but he’s not KCP. We need to understand that and appreciate Braun for who he is.`
Sources say the Nuggets could have traded for Tim Hardaway Jr. or Josh Green from Dallas in a sign-and-trade for Caldwell-Pope, but declined, believing Braun could fill the role.
Dallas then pursued Klay Thompson, and Caldwell-Pope signed with Orlando for $60 million as Denver prioritized Murray and Gordon’s extensions.
Malone’s public comments about missing skill and experience have fueled tension. The Nuggets’ inconsistent start—15th in offense, 19th in defense, 23rd in shooting, and 28th in bench production—has increased concerns.
JOKIC’S OPINION is most important, and Booth seeks it often.
`[He] has earned the right to be consulted,` Booth said. `There’s a balance – if it’s someone he’s played with a long time, I wouldn’t put that on him. But we try to involve him as much as possible.`
For example, Jokic supported signing Russell Westbrook as backup point guard. `I think [Jokic] really values [Westbrook’s] passion for the game,` Booth said.
But on bigger issues like team construction under the CBA, developing young players versus retaining veterans, Jokic stays out of it.
`I’m just here to play basketball,` he said. `I don’t understand contracts, CBA… That’s not my job.`
However, he has strong views on how younger players should approach their roles.
`I think they need to want it for themselves,` Jokic said. `They need to be the best versions of themselves.`
There are various ways to interpret these words.
Braun believes he understands Jokic best. `He cares more than anyone,` Braun said. `He works harder than anyone. He’s in the training room more than anyone. He wants to win badly.`
In other words, Jokic leads by example. Everyone else needs to follow. Some perceive Jokic’s demeanor as if basketball is just a job, and he’d rather be in Serbia with his horses, disconnected from the NBA.
Braun disagrees. `He checks in on you, talks to you, jokes around. He’s not detached. He works incredibly hard and comes back in great shape every year.`
It’s a quiet effort to stay connected—with the franchise and the young players he needs.
`I don’t like having too much time off,` Jokic said. `I get too relaxed.`
He took only about a week off after leading Serbia to a bronze medal at the Olympics.
For any other superstar, questions would arise about whether this short break was to respond to the playoff loss to the Timberwolves.
`It’s easy to judge after the fact,` Jokic said. `They won that game and the series. We had chances, but we didn’t take them, and they won.`
`I don’t really comment on other teams. I was raised to be gracious in victory and defeat. It’s natural for me.`
Even if Jokic claims not to analyze the NBA landscape, he understands his team. His desire to win in Denver is unwavering.
Whether the franchise has positioned him to succeed remains to be seen.
