Nikola Jokic Prepared To Re-Sign With Nuggets 'If Offer Is On The Table'
Nikola Jokic has every intention to continue his career with the Nuggets, should he receive an offer for a supermax extension.
Jokic, 27, is eligible to receive a five-year, $254 million extension from the Nuggets, coming off another MVP caliber season.
"I would like it, of course," Jokic said Wednesday, via ESPN. "But it's not something that I'm deciding. I think if offer is on the table, of course I'm going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who works here. I'm in really good relationship with everybody from owner to equipment manager."
After winning the NBA MVP award in 2020-21, Jokic followed up with a historic season, becoming the first player in league history to post 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a single season. The 6-foot-11, 284-pound center became the first player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and field goal percentage in a single season since steals and blocks became an official stat in 1973-74.
But beyond the personal accolades, Denver's ultimate goal -- like any other team, was to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy at the end of the season. That goal is no longer attainable after the Nuggets' 102-98 loss to the Warriors Wednesday night, in which Denver dropped the Round 1 series, 4-1.
Despite having the 2021-22 NBA MVP award finalist leading them, the Nuggets were hardly favorites, with guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. sidelined due to injury. But despite their shortcomings, Jokic said that he believes in the talent that the Nuggets have.
"We don't know what we can do because we were not healthy," Jokic said. "Do we have some talent? Yes. Can we do something? Probably. You can see through the league teams are making super teams and they're not making any success, let's say like that.
"I think we have talent. We have players. We have pieces. We have tools. The only thing is are we going to work together. That's the only thing. That's the question. You cannot know that until you start playing."
Getting a healthy Murray and Porter back would put Denver squarely in the mix for an NBA title next season, as head coach Mike Malone said.
"I think it's scary to think about that," Malone said. "I go back to last season before Jamal's injury in this building. We felt we had a legitimate chance to win a championship last year. Unfortunately it just wasn't in the cards for us. ... You're playing without two max players that have both helped us advance out of the first round the last three years."
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