Despite two straight heartbreaking ends to the regular season for the Denver Nuggets, the team's future remains very bright with their up-and-coming roster. For Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, the organization being able to lock up rising star center Nikola Jokic with a long-term contract extension is a huge priority going forward.
According to an article written by Nuggets beat reporter Gina Mizell of the Denver Post, Connelly said that the sooner Denver is able to sign Jokic to a contract extension, the better.
“Nikola’s gonna be here for a long time,” Connelly said. “He’s a guy that’s been tremendous in how quickly he’s developed and a guy that we love. And he loves Denver. The sooner we can get his signature on a long-term contract, the better … whatever keeps him here the longest is best for us and best for the team.”
Jokic currently has a team option for the 2018-19 season worth $1.6 million if Denver opts in. If they decline the team option, Jokic will become a restricted free agent and the Nuggets would then be able to sign him to a max contract.
In just his third season in the NBA, the 23-year-old Jokic had an outstanding 2017-18 campaign for the Nuggets with 18.5 points on 49.9 percent shooting from the floor, 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in roughly 32.5 minutes of action per contest.
The big man also had an eye-opening 10 triple-doubles on the season for a Denver team that came up just short of the Western Conference playoffs at 46-36.
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