Nikola Jokic to Get Nuggets Contract Extension Offer in NBA Offseason, Kroenke Says
The Denver Nuggets are hoping to extend their franchise player this offseason.
Per Mile High Sports' Ryan Blackburn, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said the team "will offer" Nikola Jokić an extension this offseason, but they are unsure whether he will accept the deal. Blackburn added that Kroenke said Denver would work with Jokić to find "what works best for him."
Jokić is entering the third year of a five-year, $276 million contract he signed with the Nuggets in 2022. He has a player option worth $68.8 million for the 2027-28 season and will be a free agent ahead of the 2028-29 season.
Jokić is eligible to sign a three-year, $212 million extension this summer, and the "assumption" across the league is that he will do so, ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Ramona Shelburne reported in April.
Jokić has spent his entire career in Denver and has never shown any signs of wanting out, so it would make sense if he decided to go ahead and take the extension that would make him the highest-paid player in the league.
Of course, one factor to consider is that he'll have a new head coach for the first time in his career after the Nuggets fired Michael Malone in April. The change in leadership didn't seem to faze Jokić, though, and he had high praise for new head coach David Adelman after the team's playoff exit.
"I think he changed the energy," Jokić told reporters in May. "I think the guys were woken up a little bit, guys had more energy. He made us believe something."
Though Denver has a few areas to address this offseason, signing Jokić to an extension should be a top priority. The three-time MVP had another dominant season, putting up 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game on the way to his seventh All-Star appearance and fifth All-NBA First Team appearance.
As long as Jokić is in the Mile High City, the Nuggets have a chance to compete for a title. They fell short of that goal this year, losing to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the second round, but with the right moves, Denver could be on its way to another championship.
