Clippers' Jokic hopes fade as cap penalties gut future picks

The Ringer's Zach Lowe said the Clippers had been quietly positioning for a run at Nikola Jokic if he ever left Denver in 2027 free agency, but called that dead after the NBA stripped Los Angeles of five first-round picks over its Kawhi Leonard cap circumvention case.

Jokic can decline his $62.8M option for 2027-28 and sign for up to $359.5M elsewhere, though he has said he intends to stay in Denver and that skipping an extension now is a business decision. Lowe argued the Clippers can no longer build the kind of roster that would lure a superstar even with cap space available.

Kawhi Leonard Nikola Jokić

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