Jokic drops cryptic words on Nuggets offseason changes, addresses Adelman

Huge question marks await Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, as a heavily-pegged title season in 2025-26 ends in a brutal first-round exit. Nikola Jokic isn’t convinced enough that he and the Denver Nuggets are a legitimate title contender after collapsing in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. As for potential offseason changes to get back on top, the Serbian superstar made it clear those decisions aren’t his to make for the entire franchise. "That’s not my decision, honestly," Jokic told reporters after the Nuggets' 110-98 Game 6 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, stopping for a few seconds and adding: "If this were Serbia, we’d all get fired." The Nuggets cap off their 2025-26 campaign in a hugely disappointing finish, losing in six games of the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite the Wolves dealing with the injuries of core players Anthony Edwards (knee), Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) and Ayo Dosunmu (calf), Denver failed to extend the series in seven games after going down 3-1. The Nuggets were heavily projected as one of the top title contenders in the NBA before the season began. After losing in seven games in the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals against eventual champion OKC Thunder, the Nuggets delivered massive retooling to build the best possible group around Jokic. They traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson. The cap space they cleared from the deal allowed them to go after Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, and officially extend Christian Braun to a five-year, $125 million rookie scale extension. They also traded for Jonas Valanciunas to give Jokic the best quality backup big man they can ever have for the three-time MVP. In the end, injuries have completely decimated the Nuggets all season. Despite winning 54 games to clinch the 3rd seed of the West, Denver saw a tough ending to their season with Aaron Gordon being limited by calf issues and Peyton Watson not playing in the playoffs due to a hamstring strain against Minnesota. Rumblings and criticism around David Adelman have emerged, and it is expected to further intensify following the Nuggets' first-round exit. But Jokic doesn't want to put the blame on the 44-year-old who took over after Michael Malone got fired late in the 2024-25 season. "It’s not his fault that we couldn’t rebound. It’s not his fault that we couldn’t catch the ball where we wanted," Jokic insisted. "There’s nothing to blame on David Adelman. It was all us." Since winning their first-ever NBA championship in 2023, Jokic and the Nuggets have failed to reach at least the Conference Finals ever since. Both sides are about to embrace changes in the next couple of months after the painful ending to their season that was filled with massive expectations. "I'm disappointed. Yeah, I'm disappointed," Jokic said about this season. "I don't know what's the level of it."