Nuggets Exec Gets Honest About Nikola Jokic Declining Extension

NBA superstar Nikola Jokic informed the Denver Nuggets on July 8 that he wouldn’t sign an extension this offseason. 

Jokic can make more money next offseason, which is why the Nuggets weren’t surprised by the move. 

“No worry at all,” a Nuggets front office executive told NBA reporter Keith Smith of Spotrac. “It’s the smart move from his side, if I’m being honest. He can lock in an extra year next year, which is the way to do it when you are in his position.

“Same offer, plus one more year, will be there for him a year from now. He knows that, and we’re all on the same page.”

The Nuggets won the NBA championship in 2023 against the Miami Heat in five games, with Jokic winning the Finals MVP Award. 

Since then, Denver has lost in the second round of the playoffs in seven games twice. 

The Nuggets lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves two seasons ago and fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. 

Nikola Jokic is widely regarded as the best player in the NBA. He averaged a triple-double and finished second in MVP voting last season.

The Joker put up 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game while shooting 57.6% from the field, 41.7% from beyond the arc and 80.0% from the free-throw line. 

The Nuggets fired Michael Malone as head coach with three games left in the regular season. David Adelman, who took over on an interim basis, was named the full-time head coach at the end of May. 

Jokic, 30, has spent his entire career with the Nuggets. He’s the best player in franchise history and will be in the Hall of Fame one day. The seven-time All-Star has career averages of 21.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists with Denver. 

The Nuggets have been very busy this offseason. The front office signed Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr., traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson and traded Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas.

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