In a surprising twist, Zach Lowe of ESPN has reported that the rumored max contract for Nikola Jokic is set to be a flat five-year deal worth $145.6 million with no player or team options.
Here is the full excerpt from Lowe’s mega free agency preview.
“Denver’s five-year deal for Jokic carries no player option in Jokic’s fifth year, sources says. It is a straight five-year contract — something Denver justifiably wanted as a concession for declining Jokic’s cheapo 2018-19 option and giving him an immediate raise.”
If true, that shows that there have been positive conversations between the Nuggets and Jokic; including his agent Misko Raznatopvic. Jokic is likely happy that the Nuggets are giving him a raise this season instead of picking up the cheap option that Lowe referenced in the excerpt above. Because of that show of good will from the Nuggets to Jokic, he is repaying the favor by not asking for any player options on the later years of his contract. This is essentially a marriage between the Nuggets and Jokic that will last five full years barring a trade.
This deal would be massive for the Nuggets organization. Locking in one of the top-25 players in the entirety of the NBA to a five-year contract gives Denver their star in a star driven league.