Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić spoke at NBA Media Day on Monday.
The biggest storyline around the All-Star Game is his contract situation. He is heading into the last team-controlled year of his contract and just has a player option for the 2027-2028 season.
Jokić was asked about the situation and gave an interesting response. He said matter-of-factly that “I’m going to sign next year.”
Then the Nuggets center paused for a long moment, almost waiting for the next question. Jokić then turned back toward the media member he was responding to and said, “If they want me.”
Jokić was eligible to sign an extension with the Nuggets this past summer. He even went so far as to say that he wants to be “a Nugger for life,” but chose not to sign the deal that would make that happen.
The extension this summer would have been a 4-year deal worth $278 million. By waiting a year and signing ahead of his fifth-year player option, Jokic’s extension will be eligible to be a 5-year, $360 million deal.
About the contract situation with his center, executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tezner said, “We have no concerns.”
Jokić has been with the Nuggets since 2015, a year after the franchise drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft.
Since joining Denver, the center has been a 3-time MVP, an 8-time NBA All-Star, and a 6-time All-NBA First Team selection. Jokić and the Nuggets won the 2023 NBA championship, and he was named NBA Finals MVP.
Last year, the Nuggets center played in 65 games. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game. Jokić finished second in MVP voting, sixth in Clutch Player of the Year voting, and was named both an All-Star and a member of the All-NBA First Team.
Jokić has played in 810 career games. He is averaging 22.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game over his career.
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