Denver Nuggets forward Jerami Grant seemingly made himself some serious money with his excellent play throughout the team's run to the Western Conference Finals, especially at the tail end of it.

In the final three games of the conference finals, Grant was Denver’s second-leading scorer behind Jamal Murray, scoring 21.0 points per game on 47.6% shooting. He also battled on defense in tough matchups against Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James.

Grant wants to return to Denver, but, ironically, his impressive showing in the bubble playoffs may have diminished his chances of returning.

Grant, 26, is expected to opt out of his player option, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. He is due $9.3 million next season if he decides to opt in. He could command $14 million to $16 million annually if he seeks a long-term deal, according to Singer.

When asked after about his future about the Nuggets' Game 5 loss on Saturday, Grant voiced his desire to keep things rolling in Denver. However, he was noncommittal:

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Denver has $44 million in salary set to come off the books this offseason as contracts for Paul Millsap ($30.3 million) and Mason Plumlee ($14.0 million) expire, which gives them some flexibility to give Grant a pay raise. However, it's unclear if the Nuggets would be willing to pay up.

The Nuggets traded a first-round pick for Grant in 2019 and were ultimately satisfied with their return — on and off the floor. Nuggets president Tim Connelly has repeatedly signaled his intention to keep Grant around for the long haul, and the organization reportedly thinks highly of him personally, too.

But after the breakout performance in 2019-20, featuring 38.9% 3-point shooting and clutch defensive versatility, Denver is likely to face stiff competition for Grant, should he indeed opt out.