A bevy of direct rivals of the OKC Thunder have seen a number of key players ship out to their opposing conference this offseason.
From the (pending) blockbuster that sent Kawhi Leonard from LA to Toronto to LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, the great Eastern migration has taken its toll on several West threats.
The Denver Nuggets are the latest Thunder foe to see a key player follow this ongoing trend, as they pulled off a three-team deal that traded stud wing Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Watson, who, interestingly enough, was originally drafted by the Thunder back in 2022, became a highly coveted target this summer following a breakout 2025-26 campaign where he posted averages of 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks on 49.1 percent shooting from the floor and 41.1 percent shooting from deep.
He now teams up with the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and the recently re-signed James Harden on the reigning Eastern Conference runner-ups and is set to ink a brand new four-year, $88 million contract.
Nuggets rumored to be on verge of fadding as Thunder threat
Just two postseasons ago, the Nuggets gave the eventual champion Thunder a real run for their money, bringing them to a hard-fought Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Now, fast forward to the summer of 2026, and we not only see a once-integral part of that team's core rotation being traded to the Cavaliers, but also rumors running rampant over the possibility of their franchise cornerstone jumping ship next summer.
While talking to the folks at the Euro Insiders podcast, Panathinakios Basketball Club owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos revealed that he's been heavily pursuing Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for quite some time now, even saying that he made a "very serious proposal this year" to buy out the big man from his current NBA deal.
Jokic has two years and $121.8 million left on his contract with Denver, but holds a player option for the 2027-28 season, which, if turned down, would send him into unrestricted free agency next summer.
These comments from Giannakopoulos come amid concerns over Jokic's decision to delay signing a max extension with the Nuggets, with some speculating he's viewing the upcoming season as a deciding factor in where his allegiance lies with the steadily crumbling ball club.
Should Denver find itself succumbing to yet another early-round playoff exit, their recent lack of successes coupled with the rise of young juggernauts like the Thunder and Spurs could theoretically lead Jokic to seriously entertaining the idea of jumping ship, be it in favor of another NBA team or one out in the EuroLeague.
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