2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Nikola Jokic: 5 years, $148 million (Denver Nuggets)
Gifted young center Nikola Jokic is poised to accept a five-year, $148M maximum contract to stay with the Denver Nuggets shortly after midnight, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018
Like several other young stars set to receive life-changing extensions this summer, Nikola Jokic is a flawed but supremely talented player to build a franchise around. Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, the Joker — they all have the potential to be offensive dynamos (and already are), despite their well-documented defensive shortcomings.
Despite those flaws that will eventually manifest in the playoffs, max extensions for all three make sense for their respective franchises. Exercising Jokic’s $2.9 million team option would’ve been much more amenable to the Denver Nuggets‘ salary cap situation, but as a former second round pick, that would’ve made him an unrestricted free agent next summer, giving outside suitors a legitimate chance to scoop him up.
By declining that option and agreeing to a long-term deal at the onset of free agency, the Nuggets just locked in a 23-year-old who just averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on .499/.396/.850 shooting splits. Out of all the moves that make Denver’s salary cap sheet look uglier like Thanos’ butt-chin, this is the most defendable one of the bunch.
Bourguet Grade: A
Hoops Habit Grade: A+