A few minutes after the Denver Nuggets lost Game 4 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, their former coach, George Karl, offered an interesting observation. “Championship windows open and close faster than ever in the NBA,” the former Coach of the Year posted. There’s definite truth to that. Look no further than San Antonio picking second in last year’s draft and winning 62 games this season, or the fact that it’s been eight years since we’ve seen a repeat NBA champion. But where the Nuggets are concerned, the story is a bit more complicated.

It seems like the Nuggets should be at the peak of their powers right now. Jokić was in the MVP race for most of the season. Jamal Murray had his best season. They were unstoppable when healthy in the regular season. They only won their championship three years ago. How could they lose like this? Not in a glorious battle against San Antonio or Oklahoma City like everyone expected, but to an extremely shorthanded Timberwolves team that was already missing many of the pieces that helped them beat Denver two years ago? How could the window close this quickly?

The answer is that it didn’t. Denver’s window didn’t close too soon. It opened too late. On March 25, 2021, the Nuggets traded for Aaron Gordon. It looked like that’s when the window opened. For around three weeks, they were world-beaters. And then Murray tore his ACL. The timing of the injury cost Denver two postseasons. The window didn’t really open until 2023, the year Denver won the title. You have four seasons worth of playoff memories of this team, but it’s a six-year-old core. In the modern NBA, how many cores last that long?

The Nuggets have already taken many of the steps that long-lived contenders take to supplement such groups. They changed coaches last year. They traded a major player — Michael Porter Jr. — in a move that seemed like it would help on the court but was also fairly transparently motivated by finances (the Nuggets managed to duck the luxury tax at the trade deadline). They’re now mostly out of tradable draft picks. There’s not much youth left and, where it exists, it’s no longer cheap. These are the traditional ways in which contenders decay. They just seem like they’re happening for Denver earlier than they should because they didn’t get to reap the short-term benefits of building this team until two years after it came together. This group is older, more expensive and more leveraged than it feels, and that leaves them enormously vulnerable moving forward.

Gordon has struggled with muscle injuries for two years. That probably isn’t getting better in his 30s. Jokić’s defense almost certainly isn’t. They have little to trade in the name of supporting them. And then there’s the money.

Denver’s calamitous tax bill

Jokić makes the max and has for some time. Same with Murray. Gordon is about to start an extension that takes him from an average of around 16% of the cap to about 20% of the cap, just as his body may be breaking down. Cam Johnson was a step down from Porter Jr. on price, but is still owed more than $23 million. And then there’s Christian Braun, coming off a miserable fourth season in which he didn’t make shots or impact games defensively at nearly the level he did a year ago.

The five of them together, plus the depth players still under contract, essentially take Denver to the second apron line next season… without including breakout wing Peyton Watson, Sixth Man of the Year finalist Tim Hardaway Jr. or filling out the rest of the roster. Running back this roster, the one that couldn’t even beat the hobbled Timberwolves, would mean going perhaps $20-30 million above the second apron as a repeat luxury tax payer. 

There are owners who might take on a half-billion-dollar payroll to field a genuine championship contender. Joe Lacob and Steve Ballmer, for instance. Denver has paid the tax consistently in this era, but very little that the Nuggets have done in roughly a quarter-century under their ownership suggests that the Kroenkes will be willing to go to such an extreme. This is a franchise that didn’t get a G-League team until 2021, that still practices in its arena rather than a separate, dedicated facility. They’ve simply never been known as an especially profligate franchise. They let the general manager who built this roster, Tim Connelly, walk for a bigger offer in Minnesota. If there is a firm budget here, the Nuggets probably have to either let Watson walk in restricted free agency or dump the contract of either Johnson or Braun before re-signing him in order to trim the tax bill to a more manageable level.

This is the financial reality of the NBA, especially in a smaller market. It is also, at least from a competitive perspective, absolutely unconscionable. Jokić is the greatest player in franchise history and, even if the team is nearing the end of this version of its lifecycle, he, personally, is still relatively close to the peak of his powers. Denver has almost no history of attracting star free agents, they have basically no picks to trade, and even when they do eventually get their own picks back, the lottery rules are about to change, likely making it more random than ever. 

It might be decades before the Nuggets have another player like Jokić. Between the bargain basement rookie deal he signed as a second-round pick, the artificially capped max contracts he’s played on since, the literal revenue his presence has allowed the team to generate at the gate and the hypothetical franchise valuation boost a period of sustained winning can generate, the amount of surplus value employing Nikola Jokić has generated for the Denver Nuggets is almost incalculable. Weakening his team and hurting his chance at a second championship, even if it means saving hundreds of millions of dollars, would send the somewhat insulting message that the team’s business interests outweigh his competitive ones.

Jokić’s potential free agency

And that brings us to the single most important decision of this offseason. Nikola Jokić can become a free agent in 2027. He is now, essentially, on an expiring contract. He could have extended that contract last offseason. There were real financial reasons why he didn’t, and he has indicated at every turn that he plans to do so this offseason. Nonetheless, at this moment, Jokić is only committed to the Nuggets for one more year.

Normally, this is the point where we’d talk about trades and free-agent rumors. By now, you surely know the Lakers have carved out the cap flexibility to pursue a max player in the summer of 2027. They also employ Jokić’s friend Luka Dončić. Realistically, Jokić can play anywhere he wants. There is not a team in the NBA — save perhaps the Thunder — that would not move heaven and Earth to either convince Denver to trade him to them or clear the cap space to sign him outright.

Jokić has made it clear that the team he wants to play for is Denver. “Even if we never win anything else after this, an organic title, it means more to me than anything,” he said earlier this year. After the season-ending loss, he said he wants to be a Nugget forever. It’s ultimately his choice. He’s planted roots in Denver. If he’d rather play his entire career in one city than maximize his chances at another championship in a city, then he’s free to do so. He just doesn’t have to make it easy on the Nuggets.

Jokić is never known to have exerted the leverage his status as a franchise player affords him. He is not, say, LeBron James. While he has seemingly shared preferences with Denver’s front office, such as his interest in playing with Russell Westbrook two summers ago, he is never known to have made demands or used the threat of potentially leaving to compel certain roster moves. 

But the Nuggets, right now, simply do not have a big enough margin of error to trim payroll if they plan to genuinely compete with the Thunder and Spurs moving forward. If the goal is to maximize this championship window, Jokić’s best move might be to hold off on re-signing until the Nuggets have shown him they’re willing and able to keep up a championship-caliber roster on the floor. If they want to let a valuable player like Watson or Johnson go for nothing, well, then they deserve to sweat out a year of Jokić rumors even if the end result is still a return.

This might not be in him. Every star is different. Some are more aggressive about these things than others. Some need to be more aggressive about these things than others. It was always easy for Stephen Curry and Tim Duncan to leave their front offices alone because their intentions and capabilities were rarely in question. James has had to take a more active role in his team’s affairs because so many of his teams have been either poorly or frugally run. Cleveland’s mismanagement in LeBron’s first tenure is well known. The Heat waived his friend and teammate, Mike Miller, immediately after their second championship strictly to save money. By the time James returned to Cleveland, he’d had enough. His second Cavaliers stint included only short-term deals because he needed the power to hold his team accountable.

Jokić has always seemingly been on the Duncan-Curry end of that spectrum. That only really works if you play for the sort of organizations Duncan and Curry played for. At this moment, it isn’t clear that Jokić does.

Is there a big move that could fix this?

There’s no immediately apparent scenario in which trading Jamal Murray makes sense. He’s going to make his first All-NBA Team this season. He’s 29 and at the peak of his powers. One of Denver’s primary weaknesses is a lack of shot-creation beyond Murray and Jokić, so removing him from the equation would simply put too great a burden on his shoulders. 

Besides, trading for picks and young players wouldn’t be especially helpful here. The idea is to maximize Jokić’s presence, while he’s still good enough to potentially be the best player in a series with Victor Wembanyama or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The moment that’s no longer true is the moment Denver’s window is officially closed, so unless they could flip any assets gained for Murray into shot-creation that also improves their defense (not possible), there’s no good reason to consider this.

Gordon is the more interesting question. He’s Mr. Nugget, the player that unlocks their ceiling both defensively (he not only defends elite forwards, but can switch onto centers and guards) and offensively (his mind-meld with Jokić as a cutter is unparalleled). He’s also an enormous health risk, and who he is at his best may no longer be as relevant as who he can reasonably be expected to be moving forward.

Does Gordon have much trade value? Perhaps to the right team, though all of the injury risks that apply to Denver would carry over. The Nuggets would never find a player who can do the things he does better than Gordon himself. Maybe they could divide his contract into multiple players who bring different things to the table? Would Watson be ready to replace him as a full-time starter? In some ways yes, in others no. He can cut off of Jokić and he’s made his corner 3s this season. He’s nowhere near as versatile defensively as Gordon, though. He’s better suited defending guards and smaller wings, and Gordon has been their backup center in so many important playoff games that Denver would need a different solution there. 

Braun has negative trade value at this stage. Usually, the solution to negative trade value is to trade it for a superior player with an even worse contract. How many such players even exist? It’s not like Jakob Poeltl makes sense for the Nuggets. Johnson is good enough for the Nuggets to safely dump the contract. He’s not so good that he’d be likely to return major value. Their only tradable first-round pick is No. 26 this year, and it’s only movable after the draft.

If there’s a major move here, it’s probably some sort of Hail Mary. Are things bad enough in Houston’s locker room that the Rockets would consider something like Gordon, Braun or Johnson and No. 26 for Kevin Durant? Maybe the same package could swipe Anthony Davis? None of this seems especially likely. If there’s a big name coming to Denver, it’s someone old, someone injured, someone overpaid, or someone scaring off richer suitors through some other means. Don’t count on a big trade coming to the rescue here. If the Nuggets are going to bounce back, it probably means betting on continuity, tinkering around the edges and hoping circumstances eventually prove more favorable.

So is the Nuggets’ window really closed?

In a world in which the Nuggets let a key player go and do little to replace him, it is highly unlikely that they will ever have the NBA’s best roster for the remainder of Jokić’s prime. Their best players are unlikely to improve based on where they are on the standard age curve. That’s not true for San Antonio and Oklahoma City, who are already better than the Nuggets are, or for many of the league’s younger, ascending teams. Never say never, of course, but if the healthy Nuggets minus Watson faced the healthy Thunder in a seven-game series next spring, Oklahoma City would be heavily favored.

But here’s the thing about Karl’s theory on windows: they can open and shut quickly, but they don’t need to open or shut just once. Take the Warriors. Their window was wide open for five seasons, from 2015 through 2019. They made the Finals in all five seasons, winning three of the first four and entering the fifth, assuming they could get the injured Kevin Durant back, as heavy favorites. In that series, Klay Thompson tore his ACL and Durant tore his Achilles. Durant left as a free agent weeks later. Golden State fell to the lottery in 2020 and was knocked out in the Play-In Tournament in 2021. Their window, at that moment, appeared closed.

Obviously, it wasn’t. The Warriors won the 2022 championship. I could write 10,000 words on how precisely that happened, but for Denver’s purposes, it boiled down to three things:

• They still had Stephen Curry playing at a near-MVP level. Championships generally start there. The Warriors had no other traditional stars at this point, with Thompson diminished after his injuries and Draymond Green always an untraditional player. But they had Curry, and having Curry unlocked everything else.
• The season went right for them, and it went wrong for the other teams it needed to go wrong for. Phoenix was the best team of the 2022 regular season. The Suns struggled through a COVID outbreak a round before they would have faced the Warriors and got eliminated. The Lakers elected not to run back their 2020 champion, instead betting their return to prominence on a disastrous Russell Westbrook trade. The Nets broke up before Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving ever got a healthy playoff run together.
• Joe Lacob spent an ungodly amount of money. Between payroll and luxury taxes, Golden State spent around $350 million on players that season. They could have allowed Kevin Durant to walk for nothing as a 2019 free agent. Instead, they signed-and-traded him for D’Angelo Russell, which eventually facilitated the acquisition of Andrew Wiggins, who was essential to their title run. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst famously called Game 5 of the 2022 Finals a “checkbook win” for Golden State, and he wasn’t wrong.

We like to believe that the best team wins the championship every year. The reality is that they don’t. The NBA is chaotic. Sometimes championship windows are measured in years. Sometimes it’s days. If the NBA were predictable, we’d expect the Spurs and Thunder to be essentially untouchable for the foreseeable future. Well, a few years ago, that’s where we thought the Nuggets were headed. It doesn’t work that way.

There are going to be years when you’re healthy and those teams aren’t. There are going to be years when those teams make bad decisions that close their windows. There are going to be years when weird stuff just happens and a red carpet to the Larry O’Brien Trophy is cleared for someone you’re not expecting.

But as the Warriors showed us, you can’t just hope the stars align. Fortune favors the prepared. The Warriors paid a huge chunk of change to keep themselves in the hunt. The Nuggets are probably going to have to do the same, because this six-year run has bled them dry. They’re out of assets and financial wiggle room to add external talent. If Watson or Johnson or even Braun isn’t on the team next year, there’s just no obvious way to replace their production. Their margin for error isn’t big enough to lose talent for nothing.

Late-prime Jokić will have a chance to keep competing just as late-prime Curry did if his team takes the gravity of his presence as seriously as Curry’s did. The Warriors have by no means been managed perfectly, but their commitment to Curry’s championship windows has never been in doubt. That expiring contract is Jokić’s greatest weapon in extracting that same commitment out of the Nuggets, because if they’re not willing to make it, there is no shortage of other teams that are.

Ciaron Maher’s stable anticipates much from the overseas recruit Zahrann in his maiden Australian voyage at Bendigo.

The Irish-bred galloper tackles the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) on Saturday, his seventh overall start carrying strong prior performances.

Famed as the ‘Nursery of Champions’ at Bendigo, it hosted early successes for the likes of Better Loosen Up, Hyperno and Salamander, suiting imports well for their local debuts.

Robert Hickmott-prepared Observational, owned by Lloyd and Nick Williams, captured the 2015 Golden Mile upon arriving in Australia.

Zahrann’s sole run under 2000m came as a second placing in a 1609m Navan maiden during his debut last April.

Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer at Ciaron Maher Racing, remains guarded on prospects after the stallion’s pair of jump-outs leading into Saturday.

“I won’t say it will be too short, but in a perfect world he’s going to want a bit further,” Turnbull said.

“He takes a lot riding. He’s a very complacent animal, but when he puts his mind to it, he can really have a crack.

“He’s really exciting for the spring and that was why he was purchased, ideally for a race like the Caulfield Cup and you go through his form in Europe, it’s pretty exciting.

“If we can capture a bit of that on Saturday and build off that, that would be great, and our plan is to get to the spring.”

Saturday’s performance will guide the stable’s strategy, per Turnbull.

Paths could lead north to Brisbane or a quieter build to spring.

“The spring comes around very quick,” Turnbull said.

“I wouldn’t say he will spell between now and spring, it’s just where he ticks over, in what location.”

Zahrann’s path to the races slowed post-arrival last year due to foot troubles, as Turnbull detailed.

“When we started with him, we trained him barefoot for a while, took him back to basics, and had our farrier team get on top of him,” Turnbull said.

“He had a few small hiccups, but looking back, we’re well on top of that now.

“He’s a very attractive stallion and being Bendigo, a lovely galloping track, a lovely surface, it should be ideal.

“He’ll be asked to step away, hold a spot somewhere, hopefully that’s midfield, or thereabouts and then have one run at them to be finishing off, and if that is good enough, then that’s great, otherwise we build and look for something a little longer.”

Holymanz represents the Maher team too on Saturday, entering in excellent fettle according to Turnbull.

Fifth on soft going at Flemington previously, he trialed sharply at Cranbourne lately.

“As I always say, you would love to own him,” Turnbull said.

“He’s so well. He’s had a little jump-out since his last run. He’s fresh, so consistent and the mile is his trip.

“If he runs to his level and gets a smooth run, I’m sure he’s good enough.”

Leading betting sites offer strong markets for the Bendigo Golden Mile.

A video of Sunrisers Hyderabad overseas star Heinrich Klaasen allegedly warning a fan for recording him as well as his family without their permission has gone viral on social media. In the video that has been shared multiple times on social media, Klaasen was seen threatening someone and asking them to stop recording. Although the face of the player was not visible in the video, the internet was convinced that it was the wicket-keeper batter from South Africa. He said that the person recording on his phone will be on the floor if he did not stop.

“Don’t do it, sorry. Listen to me very carefully, don’t do it, okay,” he said.

“I said to you no. Please leave,” Klaasen was heard saying in the video.

POV: meeting a foreign cricketer in India…. Dude just give him and his family some privacy for gods sake.

What a man Klaasy cinema lo hero villain ki warning ela isthado ala ichadu good man#SRH #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/imwBT2c8wi

— Varun Velamakanti (@CricVarunSRH) April 30, 2026

When the fan continued to film and said that SRH played well, the cricketer responded – “Thank you very much, but don’t take a photo. If I turn around and you take a photo of me and my family, I promise you will be on the floor, okay.”

Earlier, former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn heaped praise on Sunrisers Hyderabad’s middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen for his scintillating knock against Mumbai Indians and pointed out that the batter is “still right up there as an Orange Cap contender” despite coming out to bat in the middle order.

After openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head added 129 runs for the frist wicket, Klaasen thrashed an unbeaten 65 off 30, while Salil Arora smoked 30 not out off ten balls to hand SRH the fourth-highest successful chase in the IPL and their fifth straight win of the season.

Steyn pointed out that Klaasen’s numbers are even more impressive considering he does not open the batting and often comes in after the top order has already faced a significant portion of the innings.

“The numbers are just insane because he’s competing with the guys at the top of the order, the opening batters. If you look at the opening batters from Sunrisers Hyderabad in particular, they get off to incredible starts and do the bulk of the run-scoring. He comes out later and yet; he’s still right up there as an Orange Cap contender. It’s an exceptional effort by him,” Steyn told JioStar.

“Every time he comes out, he looks in total control. He looks steady, hits the ball down the ground nicely, and gets himself in. When he wants to pull the trigger, he’s able to hit the ball anywhere. That six where he went reverse off the spinner, how? He just pulls it out in the middle of a game. Incredible hand-eye coordination, skill, and then obviously, the mental side to back his ability to do it under pressure,” he added.

(With IANS inputs)

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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

While Exeter – under hugely experienced director of rugby Rob Baxter – have transformed their fortunes, Richie Murphy’s Ulster project has taken shape in recent months.

After a miserable 2024-25 that ended with Ulster finishing third-from-bottom in the United Rugby Championship, they are fighting for domestic and European honours at the business end of the season.

Thanks to attack coach Mark Sexton’s impact, Ulster have scored 210 points in their six Challenge Cup games compared to Exeter’s 204 (although 28 of the Irish province’s total came after their pool fixture against the Cheetahs was cancelled).

“There are lots of boys in there putting their hands up and probably just enjoying the style of rugby they’re playing.

“It’s infectious. They play with a lot of tempo and speed. It’s a 15-man game, which has been very exciting and from a fan’s point of view that’s what you want to come and watch.

“They’re staying true to themselves even whenever it might not feel like the right thing to do.”

Ulster have not won a trophy in 20 years while the Chiefs’ Champions Cup success came in a behind-closed-doors final, meaning a Bilbao final on 22 May against Montpellier or the Dragons is a huge incentive for both sides.

“The Chiefs haven’t won this competition before,” said Steenson.

“The way they’ll look at it as possibly completing a clean sweep of every competition, which would be an awesome feat.

“From an Ulster point of view, they haven’t won for a long, long time. It’s the chance to get the supporters buzzing around a European final.

“Who would it mean more to? Would it mean more to the Ulster supporters to get the opportunity to go and do that? Potentially, but I know how fanatical the Chiefs supporters will be.”

For months, rumours have continued to follow Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen across Europe.

From Arsenal to FC Barcelona and even Real Madrid, several top clubs have reportedly shown interest in signing the Nigerian forward.

But while many expect another big transfer move in his career, Osimhen appears happy exactly where he is — at Galatasaray.

The Nigerian striker has become one of the most feared forwards in world football in recent years. After his successful spell at SSC Napoli, he first joined Galatasaray on loan before completing a permanent €75 million move to the Turkish giants last summer.

Since arriving in Istanbul, Osimhen has continued to shine in front of goal, scoring 57 goals and providing 15 assists in 72 appearances.

His brilliant form has naturally attracted interest from Europe’s biggest clubs again, with reports suggesting some teams could make offers during the summer transfer window.

However, despite the growing speculation, the 27-year-old has now spoken warmly about life in Turkey and why Galatasaray feels special to him.

Speaking with journalist Onah Kosisochukwu, Osimhen reflected on his journey and the support he has received since moving to Istanbul.

“God has put me on that path to prepare me for the greatness I’m in right now,” Osimhen said.

“It’s what shaped me into the kind of man I am today, and I’ve enjoyed so much in my career so far.”

The striker then opened up on the connection he feels with Galatasaray, its fans and the city itself.

“But I think I’ve found a home here where I am comfortable, as are my family and a few close friends,” he added.

“This club—I’m trying to find the right word to justify it—is family. It’s love, unity, and utmost respect, not just for the player but for everyone associated with them.”

From the moment he arrived in Istanbul, Galatasaray supporters welcomed Osimhen with massive love and admiration. Fans filled the airport to receive him, while special tributes and displays were organised in his honour.

Those experiences appear to have left a deep impression on the Nigerian international.

Osimhen is also currently one of the highest-paid players in Turkish football, reportedly earning around €21 million net per season.

With his strong bond with the club, impressive form, and huge salary package, convincing the former African Footballer of the Year to leave Galatasaray this summer may prove difficult for Europe’s top clubs.

Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli (Image credit: X)

NEW DELHI: The friendship between India batting star Virat Kohli and pacer Ishant Sharma is well known. Having played together since their childhood days in Delhi and later for India, the duo share a long-standing bond. Every time they meet, it brings back fond memories. During the IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, the two were seen catching up, sharing a warm hug, cracking jokes and enjoying a light-hearted moment.In a video that has gone viral on social media, Ishant, wearing a bib over his Gujarat Titans jersey, can be seen standing alongside Kohli near the boundary ropes. The two were engaged in a cheerful conversation, laughing and joking around.Ishant is part of the Gujarat Titans setup, while Kohli continues to represent RCB in IPL 2026.However, the match also witnessed a dramatic and controversial moment with Kohli at the centre of it. He was seen questioning the fourth umpire after a contentious catch by Jason Holder led to the dismissal of RCB captain Rajat Patidar.The incident occurred at a crucial stage of the first innings when RCB were looking to build a solid platform.In the eighth over, Patidar, batting on 19, attempted a pull shot to accelerate the scoring. Holder reacted quickly, diving forward to complete a low catch, while Kagiso Rabada also closed in, nearly resulting in a collision between the two fielders.Replays appeared inconclusive on whether the ball had touched the ground. Despite the uncertainty, the third umpire upheld the decision after review, and Patidar was given out.The call left Kohli and the RCB camp visibly unhappy at a key moment in the match.Gujarat Titans eventually sealed a tense four-wicket win over defending champions RCB.GT bowled RCB out for 155 in 19.2 overs before chasing down the target in 15.5 overs. Shubman Gill (43 off 18), Jos Buttler (39 off 19) and Rahul Tewatia (27* off 17) led the charge with the bat.Despite the loss, RCB remained second on the points table with 12 points, while Gujarat Titans stayed fifth but moved to 10 points with the win.