All things considered, the fact that Nikola Jokic declined a contract extension this summer is a story that pretty much came and went. Despite such a concerning issue for Nuggets fans on the surface, it’s promising to see just how much confidence the organization has expressed all along. That trend was continued at summer league, when a Nuggets’ front office executive told Keith Smith of Spotrac that the team had “No worry at all” when it comes to Jokic’s deal.
Here, the executive even elaborated and provided further detail and context, “It’s the smart move from his side, if I’m being honest. He can lock in an extra year next year, which is the way to do it when you are in his position. Same offer, plus one more year, will be there for him a year from now. He knows that, and we’re all on the same page.”
This is the general sentiment we’ve been hearing all along, but to hear it laid out this way by an actual team executive is extremely good news. The Nuggets and Jokic appear to be in lockstep on this one, and there’s no reason to think a new deal won’t get done next summer.
Still, there’s always that risk
At the same time, words are wind, and that’s all they are. Until Jokic has put pen to paper and signed his extension, there’s always a chance he could change his mind. We’re all thrilled about Denver’s offseason moves and excited about the upcoming season.
But nothing is guaranteed here. The Nuggets now have an older roster, and a lot of the new additions are likely past their prime. They’ll be counted on to play smaller roles than they’re used to, but again, that’s not promised to work.
There’s also an assumption of better health for the Nuggets, but that’s no sure thing either. Furthermore, there’s an expectation that the young players will face less pressure now and be able to develop more steadily without being relied upon on a nightly basis. Again, that’s no sure thing.
I love what the Nuggets have done this offseason, and I think Jokic does too. But at the same time, it’s not impossible to imagine a doomsday scenario where everything goes wrong. If one or two of these drop off and the team suffers bad injury luck, in a loaded Western Conference, things could turn ugly pretty quickly.
Do I expect that to happen? No. But unexpected things happen all the time in the NBA. And regardless of what everyone is projecting right now, Jokic will enter next summer with just one year remaining on his contract. That’s a scary thought.