Jokić extension could top $280 million

Nikola Jokić could be in line for another record-setting contract before the next NBA season begins. Sports Illustrated reported on May 24 that Denver can offer its franchise center a four-year extension worth about $280 million this offseason, a figure that would set a new league mark in average annual value if completed. The timing matters because Jokić is not entering free agency now; he is still under contract and remains the centerpiece of Denver’s roster planning. The question is less whether Denver wants to keep him than how soon the team moves to formalize the next deal. ### How much money is actually on the table for Jokić? Sports Illustrated put the possible extension at roughly $280 million over four years in its May 24 report. RealGM, citing reporting around Denver’s offseason plans earlier this month, described the figure in a similar range, saying Jokić could sign for $278 million over four seasons. A four-year deal in that range would push Jokić above the current top tier of NBA salaries on an annual basis. Sports Illustrated said the extension would make him the highest-paid player by average annual value, reflecting continued growth in the salary cap and the premium attached to supermax-level extensions. (si.com) ### Why can Denver offer this now if his contract is not over? Spotrac lists Jokić as being under a five-year, $276.1 million contract signed with Denver in 2022. That deal pays him $59.0 million in 2026-27 and includes a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. That structure is why the extension conversation is happening now rather than at free agency. (si.com) Jokić still has two seasons of team control left if he exercises the option, but Denver can use the league’s extension rules to add years before he reaches the market. RealGM reported that Jokić passed on a smaller three-year, $212 million extension last offseason because a richer four-year extension would be available this summer. (spotrac.com) ### Did Jokić say anything about staying in Denver? NBA.com reported last fall that Jokić said, “My plan is to be a Nugget forever,” even after declining to sign an extension at that time. The same report said he was entering the third year of his current five-year supermax contract and did not directly commit then to signing in 2026. (basketball.realgm.com) RealGM separately quoted Jokić this month saying, “I still want to be a Nugget forever.” That comment came after Denver’s playoff exit and as front-office and coaching questions surrounded the team. ### What does this mean for Denver’s offseason? Denver’s offseason has been framed publicly around Jokić first and everything else second. (nba.com) Sports Illustrated called the contract decision an obvious one, while RealGM reported that the expectation on both sides is that Jokić signs when he becomes eligible. (basketball.realgm.com) The Nuggets are also coming off a first-round playoff exit, which has increased attention on roster changes around him. RealGM reported that Denver is expected to keep David Adelman as head coach and pursue a long-term extension with Jokić while weighing broader roster moves. (si.com) ### What happens next, and when? July is the next key point on the calendar because that is when the offseason extension window opens for deals of this kind, according to the reports cited by Sports Illustrated and RealGM. Neither Denver nor Jokić had publicly announced an agreement as of May 25. (basketball.realgm.com) The existing contract runs through 2026-27 with a player option for 2027-28, Spotrac shows. If Denver and Jokić finalize a four-year extension this summer, the new deal would lock in the franchise’s top player deeper into the decade at a price that could exceed $280 million. (spotrac.com) (si.com)