It’s easy to forget how long Nikola Jokic has been with the Denver Nuggets, but the 2025-26 season is Jokic’s 12th season in Denver. He’s seen a lot of ups and downs in this stretch, from picking up the pieces of the post-Carmelo Anthony era to winning the first championship in franchise history in 2023 with Jokic at the helm. This journey has brought a lot of change to the roster as well.
Jokic’s oldest teammate is his co-star Jamal Murray, with the pair spending the last 10 seasons together. Jokic builds strong bonds with his teammates, as evidenced by his relationship with the likes of Aaron Gordon and former teammate DeAndre Jordan. As a result, Jokic also has to deal with the pain of losing these teammates if the front office makes a specific move.
That’s what happened to Serbian center in 2021 when the Nuggets acquired Gordon in a deal that sent swingman Gary Harris to the Orlando Magic. Harris spent seven seasons in Denver and built a strong relationship with Jokic. The Serbian center revealed that he cried when he heard that Harris had been traded, highlighting the bond the pair shared.
“I remember saying goodbye to Gary Harris, and I cried, because I was so sad. We had a great connection and played well together. I think we were on the plane when it happened.”
The trade was executed on March 25, 2021, as the Nuggets sent Harris, R.J. Hampton, and a 2025 1st round draft pick (Jase Richardson) to the Orlando Magic for Gordon and Gary Clark.
Harris had averaged 12.0 points in 387 games over seven seasons with the Nuggets up until that point, playing in the backcourt alongside Murray and looking like a great fit. However, the team needed a bigger difference-maker to overcome the championship hump, which is what they did with Gordon.
Gordon came to Denver after averaging 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in seven seasons with the Magic. He couldn’t lead Orlando as a No. 1 or No. 2 option to any great heights, but he came to the Nuggets as a defined third option and thrived around Jokic.
He’s averaged 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists since joining the Nuggets and was a key starter on their 2023 NBA Championship-winning squad. The price of losing Harris was paid with an NBA Championship in return, so Jokic likely isn’t too upset over the trade in hindsight.
Jokic and Harris played in 317 NBA games together over seven seasons on the Nuggets. Harris averaged 13.2 points in that stretch while Jokic averaged 17.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. Harris saw Jokic develop into an MVP-caliber center, getting traded in the middle of Jokic’s first MVP season as he carried the team to a Playoff berth despite being without star guard Murray all season.
Harris averaged 7.8 points in five seasons as a veteran at the end of the Magic’s bench. The fact that he spent five seasons in Orlando speaks to his qualities as a locker room presence on a young team. He left Orlando for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. This year has proven that his best basketball playing days are behind him, averaging 2.6 points this season.
Jokic might lose teammates even dearer to his heart in the coming years due to the cruel nature of the NBA trade market. If the Nuggets build on their 46-28 record this season and compete for a championship, they’ll likely keep the core together. However, an early playoff exit could force Jokic to reckon with the reality of losing more teammates.
