Game Theory Jokic, Porzingis and 7 BIG Roster Questions for the NBA in 2026-27 w/ Keith Smith
Nov 13, 2026
Keith Smith, Spotrac’s NBA salary-cap and roster-construction analyst, joins for a fast-moving tour of the league’s biggest team-building dilemmas. They explore Golden State’s Kristaps Porzingis trade flexibility, Nikola Jokic’s Denver future, Boston’s Paul George options, Oklahoma City’s looming tax crunch, Orlando’s injury spiral, and intriguing trade candidates across the NBA.
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The Pelicans Have Talent Without Cohesion
- New Orleans has a collection of individually appealing players but no coherent roster structure, making “less is more” the clearest trade-deadline principle.
- Herb Jones and Trey Murphy have won their minutes together, yet Jones remains trapped in a low-impact bench role.
Jokic Rumors Conflict With His Own Message
- Nikola Jokic has repeatedly indicated he intends to remain in Denver, so current rumors deserve little weight absent a change in his own statements.
- Denver’s poor defense still creates urgency because losing Jokic would make the franchise irrelevant for years.
Denver Must Act If Jokic Loses Faith
- If Jokic signals dissatisfaction by the deadline, Denver should aggressively reshape the supporting cast rather than passively preserve its championship roster.
- Moving Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon could produce a radically different contender built around Jokic.