The Golden State Warriors entered Thursday on a surprising five-game winning streak, with optimism abounding amid Yaxel Lendeborg’s breakout rookie season. However, the franchise may have even bigger ambitions as it seeks to maximize the tail end of Stephen Curry’s prime.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Golden State is among the teams hoping Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokić becomes available in 2027 free agency, viewing itself as a viable “destination.”

Fans quickly pushed back, pointing to Jokić’s well-documented desire to finish his career in Denver and questioning the Warriors’ ability to attract top players.

NBA Fans Dismiss Warriors’ Nikola Jokić Interest

Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio Thursday, Fischer said Golden State still believes its salary cap flexibility and Curry’s presence could help it land a major star through a trade or free agency, with Jokić firmly on its radar.

Curry, 38, is the only player on the Warriors’ roster with a cap hit above $20 million for next season, per Spotrac. Jokić, meanwhile, is earning $59 million this season and has a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign. If he declines that option, the three-time MVP would become a free agent next summer, giving Golden State a chance to pursue him.

“The Warriors are one of those teams out there that are looking around and rubbing their fingers together and thinking, ‘Are we sure Jokić isn’t gonna become available next summer?’ They are one of those teams that hopes, ‘We could have max cap space; we’ve got Steph Curry,'” Fischer said.

Citing a source close to the team from his Wednesday report, Fischer added that “the Warriors still believe that they are a destination,” a view that has outlasted some high-profile setbacks since their 2022 NBA title.

“They didn’t get Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Kevin Durant didn’t wanna go back there a couple of trade deadlines ago, but they believe that — just like Jimmy [Butler] ended up being the guy who did come, even though he got hurt, it was working pretty well before he went down — they still think that they will be able to attract … someone big next summer,” the insider added.

Butler remains sidelined as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn right ACL. The Warriors also had a quiet offseason, adding Georges Niang and Brandon Williams after missing out on LeBron James in free agency. With fans growing frustrated with the front office, Lendeborg’s emergence as a secondary scorer has been a saving grace, helping restore some confidence in the team’s decision-makers.

Still, Jokić’s own words point back to Denver. Speaking in Serbian in a July 6 interview, the 31-year-old clearly laid out his plans: “My idea is to sign next summer and stay with Denver for the rest of my career.”

The Athletic reported at the time that his decision to hold off on an extension was primarily financial. Declining the option next summer would let him sign a new five-year deal running through the 2031-32 season, one year beyond what an extension signed this past summer could have reached.

Fans leaned on that stance. One dismissed the idea outright, writing, “These guys are delusional. He already said he’s not leaving.”

Another went further, mapping out the rest of the eight-time All-Star’s career:

“Jokić is gonna sign a 3-4 year deal with Denver, and then he’s gonna retire.”

A third fan suggested Jokić would only consider leaving the Nuggets for one reason: the chance to team up with his longtime friend, Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Dončić.

“It’s either staying at Denver, team up with Luka, or retirement. I don’t see any other scenario,” the X user wrote.

One fan made the same case while writing off Golden State:

“He’s not close with anyone in that organization, Luka is his boy. He’s a Laker.”

Another questioned the Warriors’ ambitions altogether, asking, “Why does the front office think they can get every single star?”

A final fan offered a blunter response to the report: “This is pathetic, man.”

Golden State could create the max-level cap space Fischer described, but a run at Jokić would only be possible if the Nuggets superstar abandons his plan to ride off into the sunset with the franchise that drafted him in 2014.