It's been well talked about this summer. The whole "will he sign now or will he delay" his contract extension with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. He put the rumor to "rest" by saying he intends to sign the extension and stay in Denver. He wants to retire in Denver, where it all began. But in the back of my mind, I can't help but be drawn to what sort of feeling is in the Nuggets' front offices' stomachs without Jokic's signature on the dotted line. The future of the franchise literally hangs on it.
Sure, Jokic will be able to exercise his team option next summer for a cool $62.8 million. And he would be able to get a fifth year tacked onto his extension, plus qualify for a no-trade clause as well. And the Nuggets front office brass is showing confidence. But, deep down, given the team's financial situation and draft capital problems moving into the future, they have to be sweating to some degree that a worst-case, "Go play with Luka in Los Angeles" scenario could eventually emerge.
The Nuggets' future is is now
Nuggets executive vice president of player personnel, Jon Wallace, was on the broadcast during the Las Vegas Summer League, projecting the Nuggets' confidence in Jokic's plan to sign the extension next summer.
"We feel confident. We trust him....we've got no choice but to," said Wallace.
That's basically the NBA's version of a giant trust fall. Will Jokic keep his word and not go rogue by opting out in free agency? Likely, very likely. But Joker wants to win, and the Nuggets may have already seen that window slip by unless Nuggets owners Kroenke Sports Entertainment and Josh Kroenke want to pay some obscene luxury tax penalties for violating the tax aprons, thanks in some part to Jokic's 35% max salary that he can extend for.
So that handcuffs the Nuggets unless they commit to paying the fines. They are already having big issues this offseason, and already showing that even though they are doing a good job of building where they can on the margins, they're doing it the cheapest way possible.
Bringing in Alpha Diallo, a defensive specialist, and locking up rookie second-round pick Trevon Brazile to minimum contracts was smart. But they're both cheaper than veterans based on the sliding minimum contract scale. The Nuggets are getting crafty at saving money on the edges to avoid the taxes already.
The Nuggets have to get crafty trading
The Nuggets are going to have to break up the band at some point if they want to avoid the exorbitant luxury taxes. Doing so won't restock the cupboard full of draft picks if the Nuggets try to improve the roster. Nor will it make the Nuggets better if they choose to avoid the taxes. That may not work out.
Again, the issues the Nuggets are having this offseason are a sign of things to come in the future, given the financial situation. If Jokic deems the Nuggets' situation too daunting and he wants to win, he has the perfect out next summer. The Nuggets would get a sign-and-trade at best then.
And then, the Nuggets would restock the cupboard. But the best basketball player in the world would be in a different jersey. No thanks.
That's not a future for the Nuggets that sounds fun to watch. That sounds like after the Melo years. That was rough. The only thing keeping the Nuggets and Nuggets fans from that same fate is the ultimate trust fall, and that Joker will catch them by being true to his word. He should be, but the "what if's" this year are going to be tough.
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