Nikola Jokic is not yet ready to sign an extension with the Denver Nuggets. It doesn’t come without risk, but it also comes with a ton of reward.
According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, the three-time NBA MVP will not sign a contract extension with the Nuggets this offseason. He still has two seasons left on his current deal as well as a player option for the 2027-28 season.
Tuesday was the first day that he was eligible to sign an extension that would have added up to three years and $212M to his current deal. While that kind of money and guaranteed employment sounds great, even for an NBA superstar, Jokic is likely holding out for more.
If he signs the extension next season instead, he could earn roughly $80M more, according to Durando. This is a development that was not necessarily unexpected from Denver’s side of things, either.
“We’re definitely going to offer it,” Kroenke Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Josh Kroenke said in June. “I’m not sure if he’s going to accept it or not, because we’re also going to explain every financial parameter around him signing now versus signing later. To be completely transparent, that’s the way we always are. And then he makes the best decision for himself and his family, and we’ll support him in it.”
It sounds like the additional $80M is worth it for Jokic, though it’s worth noting that he is taking a bit of a risk. If he suffers a setback or injury in 2025, he may cost himself some long-term guarantees in Denver. That’s likely not even in the calculation, considering his current deal runs through 2027-28 with that player option.
Last season, he averaged a triple-double: 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game.
