Misko Raznatovic, the agent for Nikola Jokic, expects the star center to sign a supermax contract extension with the Nuggets during the 2022 offseason, he said during an appearance on Donatas Urbonas’ podcast at BasketNews.com.
“According to our expectations, it should be signed this summer,” Raznatovic said. “The extension of the maximum amount, what he obviously deserved.”
Raznatovic’s comments are essentially just further confirmation of an outcome that has long been anticipated.
Jokic qualified for a supermax contract – also known as a designated veteran extension – when he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2021. However, he only had six years of NBA service at that time, and a player signing a supermax deal, which starts at 35% of the salary cap instead of 30%, must have at least seven years under his belt. So even though he had met the performance criteria, Jokic had to wait one more year to extend his contract.
The 27-year-old has done nothing this season to dissuade the Nuggets from putting that supermax offer on the table, having averaged 25.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.4 steals on .567/.364/.806 shooting in 55 games (33.0 MPG).
Jokic, who will be eligible to officially sign his extension once the new league year begins in July, can tack five new years onto the final season of his current contract, which will pay him $33.6M in 2022-23. We can’t yet pin down the exact value of the reigning MVP’s supermax extension, since it will be based on the salary cap in 2023-24.
Last month, the NBA projected a $121M salary cap for the ’22-23 season, so it’s a safe bet that number will continue to rise the following year — we just don’t know by how much. For instance, if the ’23-24 salary cap is $124M, Jokic’s five-year extension would be worth $251.7M. A $128M cap would result in a $259.8M deal.
No matter what the precise amount of the extension is, it’ll be a record-setting payday for Jokic, one that his agent expects him to take in stride.
“Luka Doncic organized a nice party for his last contract that put some kind of challenge primarily for me because I am very well known for organizing parties and participating in social life,” Raznatovic told Urbonas with a smile. “But knowing Nikola, probably nothing will happen, and everything will be the same. Just one piece of paper to be signed.”
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