In Denver, the talk ahead of the new NBA season is mostly about Nikola Jokić. The best basketball player on the planet decided not to extend his contract with the Nuggets this summer, despite having a supermax offer on the table worth $207 million.
The Serbian center has a valid contract for two more seasons, during which he will pocket $55.2 and $59.1 million, but he has an option to opt-out in 2027 and change teams.
According to the Denver Post, the decision to wait is not a sign of dissatisfaction but a pure financial calculation: next summer, Denver will be able to offer him an extension worth up to $80 million more.
Naturally, this has sparked the imagination of rivals. The Warriors, Lakers, Clippers, and Milwaukee are already planning how to clear up their budget by 2027, when both Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo can test the market.
NBA rules are clear: as soon as there is the slightest shadow of uncertainty, the competition immediately “smells blood.”
“When there is even a shred of uncertainty about the future of a player who was recently chosen as the best in the world by 19 out of 20 anonymously surveyed NBA executives (according to ESPN), the sharks immediately begin to circle. Behind the scenes, Denver remains confident that Jokić is not going anywhere,” the Denver Post article states.
Jokić himself could extinguish all speculation if he clearly states next summer that he accepts the extension. That contract would last until he is 36 and bring him a total of $293.4 million, with a salary of as much as $81 million in the final season.
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Source: Nova, Foto: AP Photo/David Zalubowski via Guliver