Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets Agree to 4-Year, $32M Contract Extension

Looking to continue developing their center rotation behind Nikola Jokić, the Denver Nuggets agreed to a four-year, $32 million contract extension with Zeke Nnaji on Saturday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Nnaji, 22, was selected by Denver in the first-round of the 2020 NBA Draft out of Arizona and has had a very limited role thus far in his career. Wojnarowski reported that the Nuggets have loved his development and that he is expected to take on a larger role with the reigning champs this season.

There is a player option included in Nnaji's deal.

Nnaji has been buried on the depth chart for the majority of his time in the NBA, playing just 13.7 minutes per game last season while getting a career-high five starts. He has never averaged more than 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds.

However, with the departure of Thomas Bryant this offseason and DeAndre Jordan not getting any younger, Nnaji now finds himself as Jokić's backup entering the regular season and could wind up being crucial to any success the Nuggets may be looking to have.

Nnaji was a star in his lone season at Arizona, averaging 16.1 points per game and 8.4 rebounds. Denver will be hoping to see flashes of that production throughout the year.

The youngster has shown some promise in the Nuggets' preseason run with a couple of impressive performances. He scored in double-digits on three different occasions and was active on the boards, grabbing at least five rebounds in every game but one.