National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Nikola Jokic, a three-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), has expressed his desire to finish his career with the Denver Nuggets, the team he’s played for since entering the league.
This declaration essentially amounts to a commitment to be a Nugget for life. However, Jokic indicated that he’ll wait until next summer to discuss the contract extension necessary to make this a reality.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that Jokic made these remarks during a post-game interview following a International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup qualifying match in Belgrade, Serbia.
The wish is to spend the rest of the playing days in Denver, Jokic stated, adding that he’ll probably sign an extension next year.
Jokic’s current contract has two years remaining, with the final year being a player option. He became eligible for a four-year, 278 million USD extension starting July 15.
However, after the 2027 season, he could become a free agent and potentially ink a colossal supermax deal worth 359.5 million USD over five years.
The supermax provision allows teams to offer up to 35% of the salary cap to retain their franchise cornerstone.
ESPN noted that this contract would be the largest in NBA history, projecting Jokic’s career earnings to reach a staggering 724 million USD.
Since his 2014 debut with Denver, Jokic has established himself as one of the league’s premier big men, clinching the regular-season MVP award three times. Last season, he put up impressive numbers, averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds (league-best), and 10.7 assists (league-leading).
Despite his stellar performance, Jokic finished runner-up in the MVP race to Oklahoma City Thunder’s rising star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Nuggets also suffered an early playoff exit, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.