2018 NBA free agency: Early predictions for where top 15 players will sign

4. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets (Team Option)

Where he will sign: Denver Nuggets

You’re probably thinking, “Why is Nikola Jokic even on this list?” It’s a fair statement, seeing as he has a $1.6 million team option for 2018-19 that the Denver Nuggets would be absolutely bonkers to decline, right? Well, it’s more complicated than that.

By picking up that team option, the Nuggets put him on track to be an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Seeing as how he’s quickly blossoming into one of the best all-around bigs in the NBA, that would not be a good thing. There’s a very good chance Denver loses its superstar center in that scenario.

So instead, they should take the other route. By declining his option, they send him to restricted free agency, where they can match any offer he receives. There’s about a 100 percent chance the offer he receives is of the max variety, which Denver would match in a heartbeat. Even if another club tried to build some complexity into the deal, the Nuggets would make it work.

The chances of Denver letting Jokic go anywhere in the near future are slim to none. He’s turned out to be one of the biggest draft steals in recent memory, and the Nuggets aren’t going to let his ridiculous mix of size, playmaking and rim protection leave the Mile High City.