The Denver Nuggets are reportedly going to sign Nikola Jokic to a five-year, $148 million max contract extension. Let’s give the Nuggets a grade for this move.
Per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Denver Nuggets are reportedly inking their franchise player to a five-year, $148 million max contract extension. This was 100 percent the right move for Denver.
Nikola Jokic is only 23 years old and has as much potential as any player in the league. Sure, he struggles on defense, but so does Karl-Anthony Towns, James Harden, DeMarcus Cousins… the list goes on and on. I’m assuming as his athleticism improves, his defense will improve as well.
The key for Jokic is his offensive versatility.
The Nuggets don’t have a true point guard. You can call Jamal Murray their point guard if you’d like, but he’s more of a scoring guard than a playmaker — he just happens to bring the ball up (for the record, I like Jamal Murray a lot).
However, that’s completely fine because the Nuggets happened to stumble upon the best passing center in the league and probably the best passing center I’ve ever seen with my own eyes (I’m only 20 years old so I can’t go back too far, but you get my point). Jokic is their best playmaker, which is perfect because it allows Jamal Murray to do what he does best, which is score the basketball.
Nikola Jokic with the nasty pass to Jamal Murray!https://t.co/nN0Dir3A9Y
— NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) January 4, 2017
However, playmaking isn’t all Jokic brings to the table. He’s a gifted scorer and a solid rebounder, but his passing often overshadows those parts of his game.
During the 2017-18 season for the Nuggets, Jokic averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on a nice 49.9 percent shooting from the field.
Oh yeah, did I mention he can stretch the floor, too? Last season, Jokic shot a cool 39.6 percent from 3-point range on 3.7 attempts per game. The Joker showed off his scoring ability in the most important game of the season for Denver.
It was a win-or-go-home scenario for the Nuggets as they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on the final night of the regular season for the final playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference. In a losing effort, Jokic put up 35 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Jokic is the real deal and he proved it that night.
The Nuggets definitely made the right move by giving him a five-year max contract extension. He’s only 23 years old, which means by the end of his deal, he’ll be 28. Locking a guy up for five of his eight (maybe?) prime years is an incredible thing to do for your franchise.
Let me ask you this: If your favorite team had a once-in-a-generation type player who was only 23 years old, wouldn’t you think he deserved the max? Wouldn’t you sign him to an extension?
The Nuggets proved this offseason both through the draft (when they selected Michael Porter Jr.) and through free agency, that they are a legitimate franchise with an insanely bright future.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: A+