Nikola Jokić idolizes Tim Duncan. A man known for his success over his shine, his consistency over his peaks (impressive as they were), and a famous example of a Hall of Famer playing his entire career with one team.

To a Nuggets fan, Duncan is the most assuring aspiration for their beloved Serbian superstar. That admiration reflects what we all want to see in him. What we hope we’re right about regarding his nature as a competitor.

Namely, that he wants to be in Denver as badly as Denver wants him.

That notion has held firm throughout his tenure in the Mile High.

It’s always seemed like Jokić values loyalty to the team that took a chance on him. It’s never seemed like he’d leave the Rocky Mountains in the rearview as he headed for the big, flashy lights dotting America’s coastlines.

Doubt had never even crept into the conversation. Not until Jokić left the door open to speculation by choosing not to sign an extension this summer, kicking the can down the road to next year.

Suddenly, the star who seemed like he would never leave found himself where few players of his ilk have — gearing up to hit unrestricted free agency, where historical precedent suggests a likely departure.

Jokić has spoken on this before. At the last media day, he debuted a line that struck home with the fan base and looked tremendous on a quote graphic.

“My plan is to be Nugget forever.”

He echoed that sentiment after a bitterly disappointing first-round exit.

That’s closer to a verbal confirmation than you’re likely to get from an NBA superstar. Our most recent example was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dodged commitments and spoke in vague, wishy-washy terms about his future before ultimately taking his talents to South Beach.

But it still wasn’t a confirmation from Jokić. It was just a plan. And plans change.

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