There’s a growing sense of belief that for Nikola Jokic, the NBA is a job. But when it comes to playing for Serbia, his demeanor switches. After bagging bronze at the Paris Olympics, the Joker wants to see through another major accomplishment for his country. They have begun their EuroBasket 2025 preparations in Riga. However, even though thousands of miles away, his NBA duties did intervene.

Don’t worry. It isn’t the situation Giannis Antetokounmpo had to face recently. Jokic is fully looking forward to leading Serbia without any complications. Yet, two Nuggets personnel did visit him in Latvia.

Ben Tenzer, the Nuggets’ vice president of basketball operations, and John Wallace,  the vice president of player development, were in attendance during Serbia’s first practice. But why go to such lengths just to get in touch with Nikola Jokic?

The reason behind their visit isn’t exactly known. Often, executives or team personnel visit their core players for a basic routine check. As is evident, Nikola Jokic is the Nuggets’ most valuable asset. The run-in was maybe to get some reassurance about the three-time MVP being injury-free and safe to compete in EuroBasket 2025.

Serbia will begin its campaign on Wednesday, when they face Estonia. However, aside from the mandatory check-up, there could be another reason. See, the Nuggets have used this offseason to build a credible roster around the Joker amidst his decision to delay his contract extension. From the initial reports, Jokic’s decision wasn’t based on concerns about the Nuggets’ future.

During the offseason, LeBron James met with the Nuggets center’s agent, Misko Ragnatovic. That spiralled into rumors about the Joker possibly being interested in joining the Lakers. You know there’s always been whispers about him and Luka Doncic playing together.

And so, there begins another saga.

Nuggets want to assure Nikola Jokic’s loyalty?

As mentioned above, there are no reported grounds to speculate why Wallace and Tenzer visited Nikola Jokic. However, judging from their responsibilities, maybe one of their agendas was to get a sense for where Jokic is with the team’s offseason movement. It was a big one for the Nuggets, who made some noticeable changes to their roster.

They parted ways with Michael Porter Jr. to add Cameron Johnson. He’s viewed as a potential replacement but with a far higher ceiling. Furthermore, the signings of Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr., all add depth to the Nuggets’ roster.

So, as is with any organization, checking in with the star player is necessary. Being transparent and gauging their views is imperative to building a strong foundation. Add to that Nikola Jokic delaying a three-year extension, and the Denver Nuggets do have reason to worry. However, as far as the Joker is concerned, he doesn’t have any worries about the franchise.

His call was purely for financial reasons. Had he signed now, Jokic would have had a three-year $212 million extension. However, by just waiting for the 2026 offseason, he can sign a longer deal. That gives him excess to nearly $80 million more in guaranteed money because of the annual increase in the salary cap.

Because looking at the Nuggets’ approach, they are pushing their chips towards Nikola Jokic. And the Joker has every intention to give it his all for the franchise as he has until now.