Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets and reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic have reportedly agreed to a five-year $264 million supermax contract extension, the richest agreement in NBA history, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Charania noted Jokic will have a player option for the 2027-28 season worth $60 million.

Jokic has averaged 26.7 points on 57.5 percent shooting, 12.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists over his past two seasons. He's led the NBA in player efficiency rating each of those years, per Basketball-Reference.

The 27-year-old has also led Denver to the playoffs each of the last four seasons, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2019-20.

Jokic's finest work may have come in 2021-22, however, as he guided Denver to a 48-34 record and the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs despite the team missing Jamal Murray (torn ACL) all season and Michael Porter Jr. (lumbar spine surgery) for all but nine games.

Naturally, the Nuggets should want Jokic around for as long as possible. The feeling is mutual, per Jokic's comments to reporters after the season about the potential of signing a supermax extension.

"I would like it, of course, but it’s not something that I’m deciding," Jokic said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. "I think of course if it’s offered—if (the) offer is on the table—of course I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization and really like the people who work here."

Amick reported that Denver was expected to offer Jokic a five-year, $254 million extension that would make him the highest-paid player in the game.

Expectations will be high in Denver next year with the presumed and hopeful healthy returns of Murray and Porter alongside the franchise cornerstone in Jokic.

But the big man could well be up to the task after two tremendous seasons showcasing why he is arguably the best player in basketball right now.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday that the league is considering a change to the All-NBA team ballot after Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was surprisingly left off the All-NBA First Team this year.

Silver told reporters that "a fair amount of consideration" is going into making the All-NBA team ballot positionless.

"We're a league that has moved increasingly to positionless basketball," Silver told reporters. "We'll have discussions with the players on changing the way we vote for All-NBA teams. These decisions do have a financial impact on players."

This year's All-NBA First Team was made up of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

Embiid was named to the second team for the fourth time in his career despite receiving more first-team votes than Tatum. In total, he received 12 first-team votes at center and 45 at forward.

However, Tatum made the first team over Embiid because he had more votes than the big man as a forward.

Some voters attempted to get Embiid on the first team by voting him in as a forward instead of as a center because they knew Jokic would make the first team at center. If the All-NBA voting had been positionless this year, Embiid would've made the first team.

So based on the math here, it appears Embiid got 12 first-team votes at center, plus an additional 45 as a forward, unless I'm missing something. So there was definitely an attempt to get him on First Team. So, he got more points than Tatum (last forward in) but less as a forward pic.twitter.com/Afzlre6jd8

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) May 25, 2022

To be fair, Embiid should have been named to the first team after being named an MVP finalist. He had a career year, averaging 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game en route to a fourth place finish in the Eastern Conference.

Tatum even noted after being selected to the first team that the ballot should be positionless, adding that Embiid being snubbed from the first team was ridiculous after the year he had.

"I do think it should be positionless," Tatum said. "Joel Embiid was second in MVP voting and he made second team? It doesn’t really make too much sense."

Considering making an All-NBA team can result in a player qualifying for a supermax contract, the league definitely needs to sort out the voting because there are a number of players who could benefit financially.

When Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic was informed he had won this season's MVP award for the second straight year, he did so at his horse farm in Sombor, Serbia.

Surprise in Sombor✈️🇷🇸 We flew to Serbia to surprise the BACK-TO-BACK MVP! And, wow, this moment was special. pic.twitter.com/aFvIEDgnSj

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 11, 2022

So it shouldn't come as a major surprise that his post-career plans involve horses. 

"My dream is to move back to Serbia and become a trotting coach after my basketball career," he told TV4's Peter Andersson (h/t Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net). "My country is, unfortunately, the worst in Europe on trotting and there are maybe 150 starting horses, and it is very complicated to start abroad. But it's still great fun."

Jokic also reportedly was at Elitloppet over the weekend, Sweden's famous harness-racing event. 

If he's as good a trotting coach as he is an NBA center, Jokic's second act will be quite impressive. 

Reigning two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic reportedly plans on signing a supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets soon.

According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the superstar center intends to sign a five-year, $260 million extension with the Nuggets when it is offered to him in July.

"Jokic's brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja, met with Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and assistant GM Tommy Balcetis in recent days to discuss the team's future," Charania and Amick reported. "All sides, sources say, left the meeting aligned in their vision."

Jokic was eligible to hit free agency in 2023, but his return to the Mile High City was widely expected. The Nuggets could offer him more money than any other team, and his agent said in March the 6'11" center was planning to sign a supermax deal.

From Denver's perspective, paying Jokic as much as was allowable under the collective bargaining agreement was a no-brainer.

The 27-year-old showed promise while sharing a frontcourt with Jusuf Nurkic in his first two seasons. Nurkic's trade to the Portland Trail Blazers then allowed him to shine in a prominent role.

Jokic made the first of four straight All-Star appearances in 2018-19 and averaged 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He has continued to improve since then.

The Serb firmly stamped his place as one of the NBA's elite talents during his first MVP campaign of 2020-21 by putting up 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. He also shot 56.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc.

The Nuggets finished third in the Western Conference that year despite Jamal Murray missing the final 18 games because of a torn ACL.

With Murray and Michael Porter Jr. both nursing significant injuries, Denver had to lean on Jokic even more in 2021-22, and he still managed to be nearly unstoppable. He averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.5 steals en route to a second straight MVP award.

His 15.2 win shares were the highest in the NBA for the second year in a row, per Basketball Reference.

Jokic's best performance came in a 130-128 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 19. He finished with a triple-double (49 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists) in 42 minutes on the floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKT0FC5mULQ

The Nuggets had already rewarded Murray (five years, $158.3 million), Porter (five years, $172.6 million) and Aaron Gordon (four years, $86.6 million) with major extensions. Jokic was the next in line.

Porter's deal was a tone-setter from ownership as to its willingness to spend, too. The franchise didn't let the 23-year-old even hit restricted free agency before putting a max contract on the table.

With Jokic, the only variable was whether he might want to pursue greener pastures.

Murray's ACL injury and Porter's history of back problems give the Nuggets a somewhat muddied outlook. They're clearly good enough to contend for the playoffs, but they might have already peaked with their trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2019-20.

The door to a championship at least remains open for as long as Jokic is on the roster.

If recent history has shown anything, the NBA's top stars can force their way out if they're determined enough. Re-signing with Denver now doesn't preclude him from requesting a trade within the next few years if he sees greener pastures elsewhere.

That's a bridge the Nuggets will cross if it comes. For now, they can celebrate holding onto a player who's on pace to be the greatest in team history.

Tim Connelly's departure from the Denver Nuggets front office won't have an impact on Nikola Jokic's decision to sign an extension with the organization. 

Per Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Jokic has told Nuggets officials he is "comfortable with the direction" of the team in conversations they have had since it was announced that Connelly is leaving the club.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that Connelly, who spent the past nine seasons in Denver's front office, agreed to a five-year deal worth more than $40 million and ownership equity to run basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Following Denver's season-ending loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, Jokic was asked about signing a contract extension with the team. 

"I would like it, of course," Jokic told reporters on April 27. "But it's not something that I'm deciding. I think if [the] offer is on the table, of course I'm going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who works here. I'm in [a] really good relationship with everybody from [the] owner to equipment manager."

Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Jokic is eligible for the largest contract in NBA history if he re-signs with the Nuggets this summer. 

The Nikola Jokic super max extension in 2022 is projected to be the largest contract in NBA history.

*2023-24: $42.6M
2024-25: $44.9M
2025-26: $48.2M
2026-27: $51.5M
2027-28: $54.8M

Total of $241M

*Based on a salary cap of $121.5M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 8, 2021

Jokic still has one year remaining on his current deal worth $32.5 million.

The 27-year-old set career highs in scoring average (27.1 points per game) and rebounds (13.8) in 74 starts this season. He also averaged 7.9 assists per game and was named NBA MVP for the second consecutive season. 

Jokic is one of 13 players in league history to win the MVP award in back-to-back years. 

Connelly has been an instrumental figure in building the current Nuggets roster. He was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager in June 2013 after Masai Ujiri left to join the Toronto Raptors. 

Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Monte Morris were all drafted by the Nuggets under Connelly's watch. He also traded for Aaron Gordon during the 2020-21 season. 

The Nuggets have made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, including an appearance in the Western Conference Finals during the 2019-20 campaign.     

The Kia All-NBA Teams have been announced, and a pair of two-time NBA MVPs lead the way once again.

Denver Nuggets center and reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic finds himself on the First Team alongside Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP award in 2019 and 2020.

They are joined by newcomer and Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, who averaged a career-high 26.8 points while leading his team to an NBA-best 64-18 record.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic joins Booker in the backcourt for his third straight First Team appearance as well. 

Finally, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum rounds out the First Team this year after guiding the C's to second in the Eastern Conference. He was the catalyst for the team's 26-6 finish down the stretch and averaged a career-high 26.9 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Here's a look at all three All-NBA teams and a spotlight on some of the First Team standouts. 

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All-NBA First Team

Dallas Mavericks G Luka Doncic

Phoenix Suns G Devin Booker

Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Boston Celtics F Jayson Tatum

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic

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All-NBA Second Team

Memphis Grizzlies G Ja Morant

Golden State Warriors G Stephen Curry

Chicago Bulls F DeMar DeRozan

Brooklyn Nets F Kevin Durant

Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid

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All-NBA Third Team

Atlanta Hawks G Trae Young

Phoenix Suns G Chris Paul

Toronto Raptors F Pascal Siakam

Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James

Minnesota Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns

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Nuggets C Nikola Jokic

The reigning back-to-back NBA MVP posted 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.

Per Basketball-Reference, he paced the league with 15.2 win shares and a 9.8 VORP (value over replacement player). His 32.8 player efficiency rating also led the NBA.

Jokic did all that despite Denver missing point guard Jamal Murray (torn ACL) all season and forward Michael Porter Jr. (lumbar spine surgery) for all but nine games.

Thanks largely to his efforts, Denver finished 48-34 and reached the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.

The four-time All-Star has now made three All-NBA First Teams and one All-NBA Second Team.

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Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo, a nine-year veteran and six-time All-Star, averaged a career-high 29.9 points, as well as 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game this year. The two-time NBA MVP finished third in the MVP voting this season behind Jokic and runner-up Joel Embiid and led the Bucks to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The 27-year-old also won the 2021 NBA Finals MVP and the 2020-21 NBA championship. He has made the All-NBA First Team for four straight years.

No other NBA player has a current First Team streak as long as Antetokounmpo, who had 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the playoffs.

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Suns G Devin Booker

Booker and the Suns finished with the best record in the league at 64-18. The season didn't end on a high note with a tough seven-game loss to Doncic and the Mavs in Round 2, but the three-time All-Star certainly deserves honors for a tremendous year that saw him average a career-best 26.8 points per game.

He and Chris Paul arguably formed the NBA's best backcourt, and the two also guided Phoenix to top four offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, per Basketball-Reference. Overall, it was a great season for Booker, who now enjoys his well-deserved All-NBA team nod.

            

Mavericks G Luka Doncic

The 23-year-old continued to be a force to be reckoned with in his four-year NBA career as he averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game for the fifth-seeded Mavs.

He did all that despite the Mavs making a seismic change to their roster and trading big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards midseason.

Undeterred, Doncic easily led the Mavs to the playoffs, where they advanced to the Western Conference Finals after upsetting the top-seeded Suns in Round 2. Luka Magic appeared once again as he averaged 32.6 points in the Suns series.

Doncic is now a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team member who won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award as well.

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Celtics F Jayson Tatum

Tatum has now made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams in his five-year career. Things looked bleak this season after the C's got off to a moribund 25-25 start, but Tatum catapulted the squad to a tremendous finish and the No. 2 seed in the East.

A potentially dangerous matchup with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets loomed in Round 1, but Tatum and the C's dispatched them in a four-game sweep. They then took down Giannis and the Bucks in seven second-round games and currently sit tied at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat.

Tatum's officially broken out into one of the game's elite stars this year, and he could very well be on his way toward leading Boston to its first title since 2008.

It's back-to-back for Nikola Jokic. 

For the second straight season, the Denver Nuggets center was named the NBA MVP, beating out Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks defending champion Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

This is the second Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award for Nikola Jokić, who also earned the honor last season. He becomes the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons.

More ➡️ https://t.co/hVjnZunkcw

Voting Results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fZlabO0aFF

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 11, 2022

Joker's entrance to collect his MVP in his hometown was all-time 😂🐎 @NBAonTNT https://t.co/5SoOvLd0H6

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 11, 2022

Jokic said he got emotional seeing Michael Malone and a Nuggets contingent upon returning to the stable. https://t.co/dXu22F4A1S

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 11, 2022

For the latter part of the 2021-22 season, a heated MVP debate emerged between Jokic and Embiid backers, with Antetokounmpo emerging as a serious contender down the stretch. 

All three made a strong argument from a traditional counting stats perspective:

• Jokic: 27.1 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 7.9 APG, 58.3 percent from the field, 33.7 percent from three
• Embiid: 30.6 PPG (tops in the NBA), 11.7 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 BPG, 49.9 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from three, 11.8 free-throw attempts and 9.6 free throws made per game (both tops in the league)
• Antetokounmpo: 29.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.4 BPG, 55.3 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from three

The narrative for Jokic winning the award was that he led the Nuggets to 48 wins and a playoff berth despite being without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for the majority of the season, he's an advanced-stats darling and he posted historical marks this past season:

Fwiw, things that are *not "advanced" stats:

Only player in NBA history w/ 2000 points, 1000 rebounds & 500 assists

Only player in 2021-22 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks

19 triple-doubles & 66 double-doubles, both 1st in NBA#Jokic #MVP

— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) May 9, 2022

Embiid's case centered around him leading the league in scoring as the first center to do so since Shaquille O'Neal in the 1999-00 campaign.

But he was also the keystone of Philly's defense (the team's 107.8 defensive rating with Embiid on the court would rank fourth overall in the NBA) and led the team to 51 wins despite much of the season being clouded by the Ben Simmons controversy, as Embiid's long-time running mate sat out the season while demanding a trade until he was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that sent James Harden to Philly. 

While Giannis and Jokic have now won the past four MVP awards, Embiid is still chasing his first. 

Here's Embiid's full quote on the MVP decision, voters on the award, and focusing on the bigger picture: pic.twitter.com/1H14Rc30qm

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) May 11, 2022

As for Antetokounmpo, he led the Bucks to 51 wins as well, and, like Embiid, a good chunk of his case for winning the award was his status one of the league's most impactful two-way players. The two-time MVP also finished second in scoring among qualifying players. 

In most seasons, any of Jokic, Embiid or Giannis would have been viable winners. But with all three putting up excellent campaigns, it turned into quite the race. Ultimately, voters sided with Jokic yet again.