Mar 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is greeted by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) at the start of the game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic's Agent Post Hints At Team Up With LeBron James

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Alex Toledo | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 12:28 PM ET

Miško Ražnatović, the longtime agent of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, (as well as the Miami Heat's Nikola Jović), posted a picture on Instagram hanging out on a boat with four-time Finals MVP LeBron James. The caption: "The summer is 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!"

Nikola Jokic’s agent and LeBron

(h/t @Fullcourtpass ) pic.twitter.com/BVgEF64Y1A
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 27, 2025

This caught the attention of many, as there have been a bountiful amount of rumors involving James and his declining relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. Moreover, Jokić decided to forgo signing an extension with the Denver Nuggets this summer.

James will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 after opting into the final year of his contract with the Lakers this summer, which was followed by a curious statement from his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. According to multiple insiders, the Lakers have moved into the Luka Doncić era and are looking to keep their books clean for the next two cycles of free agency.

Jokić, on the other hand, is very much a priority for his current team and will have a player option in the summer of 2027. The most prudent financial move for the 2023 Finals MVP would be to opt out and become a free agent, even if he wants to re-sign with Denver.

As far as the two of them teaming up goes, the Nuggets will have way to sign James into anywhere near the $52.6 million he'll earn this season. As it stands right now, the most they'll be able to offer is the $15 million mid-level exception. If they wanted to trade for him this season to get his Bird Rights to then re-sign him next summer, they'd have to trade a package centered around Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and another contract.

From the Heat's end, like the Nuggets, they also will have no way to sign James straight up next offseason, other than with the mid-level exception. However, they could easily put together trade packages with expiring contracts, (as well as young players or draft picks, potentially), to satisfy the Lakers' goals in a James trade.

If, for whatever reason, Jokić decides to think about playing for another team, Miami, along with having no state tax, has the organizational cache, a friend in Goran Dragić who will likely be working for the organization soon, a Serbian teammate who shares the same agent and a head coach headed for the Hall of Fame. The Heat would have to find a way to trade for Jokić ahead of time if he told the Nuggets he won't re-sign in 2027, as they won't have the requisite cap space to sign him outright.