All eyes in the NBA world are squarely fixed on the Kawhi Leonard situation and waiting to see what the league is going to do about it. Marc Stein added some reporting and context on the situation and stated that he spoke with multiple team strategists who claimed that if the Clippers weren’t docked multiple first-round picks and Leonard’s contract wasn’t voided while staying on their books, other teams would find their own ways to provide extra compensation for players.
This is a nightmare scenario for the NBA, but also for the Nuggets, who employ the best player in the world, whose contract is set to expire after the season. Nikola Jokic notably chose not to sign a longterm extension this summer, choosing to wait until next year when he can earn even more money.
The assumption was that he would re-up when this season ends, but this could now open a whole new can of worms. Jokic clearly deserves and is worth much more than his “supermax” contract allowed under the CBA.
But if teams and owners are now going to be opening shell companies and getting creative to offer players more money, Jokic may suddenly gain a lot more earning power.
Other teams may offer Jokic way more money than Nuggets
It was assumed that Denver would be able to offer Jokic the most money, and between that, the competitive team, and Joker’s loyalty would keep him with the Nuggets forever. But if he truly wants the most money, and owners are going to get creative, it seems wildly unlikely that the Kroenkes will be the ones to pony up.
The Kroenkes have been notoriously cheap owners when it comes to team salaries and extra expenses. They certainly have the money, but are they now going to be willing to go deep into their pockets to pay well beyond the salary cap? I’m extremely dubious.
On a truly open market, owners like Steve Ballmer, Matt Ishbia, and others with deep pockets will be lining up to create companies and other earning opportunities for Jokic, the price tag is going to get ridiculous.
Nuggets fans should be hoping that the league comes down hard on Leonard and the Clippers, because otherwise it’s going to be open season for spending, and that’s not going to bode well for the Nuggets as long as the Kroenkes are in charge.
It’s not time to panic yet, but keep a very close eye on this situation. If the league lets this get out of control, it may be the beginning of the end for Jokic and other superstars playing in Denver.