Nikola Jokić dishes highlight dime vs. Jazz

After nearly departing for Europe last offseason, Valančiūnas is officially leaving the NBA following 14 seasons. The veteran big man played for six different NBA teams over the course of his career, posting averages of 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds. He spent his most recent season with the Nuggets as a depth center behind Nikola Jokić, playing 13.4 minutes per game, which were the fewest of his career. If this is the end of Valančiūnas’ NBA journey, he’ll most likely be remembered as a Toronto Raptor, where he spent 6.5 seasons and started for several championship-contending teams.

Jokić has repeatedly said that he plans to spend his entire NBA career in Denver, and nothing has changed in that regard. Following Serbia’s FIBA World Cup qualifying win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the three-time NBA MVP said he plans to sign his extension next summer. The question now is whether he’ll opt into the final season of his current deal, 2027-28, and then ink an extension, or sign one after declining it. The final year of Jokić’s current deal would pay him just under $63 million if he were to opt in. Simply put, Nuggets fans and fantasy managers have little to worry about regarding the 6-foot-11 center’s NBA future.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić were first-team selections on all 100 ballots, while Wembanyama was selected on 99. Unsurprisingly, they were the three finalists for league MVP, with Gilgeous-Alexander winning the award for a second consecutive season. Dončić and Cunningham, who needed waivers from the league to be eligible for postseason honors, round out the first team.

Jokić logged another impressive stat line in Thursday’s loss, impacting the game as a scorer, facilitator, and rebounder. He shot the ball efficiently overall despite not finding his touch from beyond the arc. Yet, his contributions weren’t enough to keep Denver from another early playoff exit. The Nuggets have not been back to the Western Conference Finals since their championship-winning 2021-22 season. Regardless of what roster construction occurs over the offseason, Jokić should be back and will have a chance to finish as one of the best fantasy players.

With their backs against the wall facing elimination at home in Game 5, the Nuggets finally punched back in this series. Jokić bounced back after a rough second half in Game 4 to record a triple-double with 27 points as Denver took Game 5 by 12 points. Jokić and the Nuggets will have their work cut out for them on the road in Game 6 on Thursday.

While Jokić finished Game 4 with a solid stat line, he did most of his damage before halftime. In the second half, the three-time league MVP shot 1-of-10 from the field as the Nuggets fell to a Timberwolves team that did not have Anthony Edwards or Donte DiVincenzo. And things would get worse for Jokić, as he was ejected in the final seconds for sparking an altercation due to his displeasure with Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels converting a layup instead of running out the clock. No punches were thrown, and the Nuggets will hope that bodes well for Jokić’s availability for Game 5 on Monday.

Jokić missed 19 shots on Thursday and made more free throws than field goals. His struggles contributed to Denver’s offensive inefficiency as a group. Still, he was the team’s leading scorer by a wide margin, and his three assists told the story of how unimpactful his supporting cast was on offense. Jokić has shot 40.0 percent or worse in the two losses in this opening-round series; he’ll likely need to turn things around offensively for Denver to avoid dropping a third straight game on Saturday.

Jokić finished Game 2 two assists shy of a triple-double, but Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert once again did a solid job of defending the three-time league MVP. For the second consecutive game, Jokić committed five turnovers, and he shot 40 percent from the field. While Jokić did get his numbers, the Nuggets’ margin for error is slim given their defensive issues, especially with Peyton Watson still out due to injury. Denver will look to retake the series lead when they visit Minnesota for Game 3 on Thursday.

Jokić led the NBA in triple-doubles during the regular season, so it’s unsurprising that he got his 2026 playoffs with another. Shooting 9-of-12 from inside the arc, the lone negative for the three-time league MVP was the five turnovers. Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert deserves some credit for the job he did defensively, but no one would be surprised if Jokić produced a more efficient stat line in Game 2 on Monday.

Jokić finished the regular season averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists as he became the first player in league history to lead the league in rebounds and assists in the same season. The 31-year-old center only played 18 minutes, but still had 23 points and eight rebounds in the win over the Spurs. The Nuggets head into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.