Nuggets president makes Nikola Jokic trade stance clear after playoff flop

The Nuggets won’t be trading Nikola Jokic — but nothing else is guaranteed.Denver’s season ended earlier than expected last week when the Timberwolves dumped them out of the playoffs in the first round in six games.And team president Josh Kroenke hinted that some changes could be on the way as he spoke about Denver’s offseason plans.“I think everything’s on the table, outside of trading Nikola,” he told reporters.The Nuggets rarely had a fully healthy group this season, as Aaron Gordon played just 36 games in the regular season, while Christian Braun, Cam Johnson and Peyton Watson all missed extended time/Denver has made just one conference finals run since the 2020-21 season — during its 2022-23 championship season — and team brass may feel it is time to shake up the team’s core.Gordon, who missed three games in the first round series with a calf issue, has been with Denver since March 2021, while Jokic and Jamal Murray have been teammates for 10 years.“I think this season was, in a lot of ways, the season that never was, because this group never fully got a chance to show any kind of rhythm,” Kroenke said, referencing the team’s injury issues.They were ousted by Minnesota in six games even as Anthony Edwards missed two games (and much of another one) with a knee injury.Murray had a career year, as he averaged 25.4 points and finally earned his first All-Star nod.However, he could be a prime candidate to be moved due to his hefty $50 million cap hit for next season.Jokic, 31, was not at his best against Minnesota as he shot just 44.6 percent from the field and 19.4 percent from 3 as Rudy Gobert did a commendable job of guarding him.The three-time MVP will look to bounce back next season — but time will tell just how many of his teammates return too....