Nuggets cement Nikola Jokic as their franchise cornerstone with max contract

Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly remained adamant throughout the initial stages of Denver’s offseason that locking up franchise cornerstone Nikola Jokic to a long-term contract was his top priority. And for good reason. After he was selected 41st overall in 2014, Jokic emerged onto the NBA landscape during his sophomore season and established himself as an All-NBA level talent last year.

“Nikola is going to be here for a very long time,” Connely asserted this summer. “… He’s a guy who’s been tremendous in how quickly he’s developed and a guy we love, and he loves Denver. The sooner we can get his signature on a long-term contract the better.”

Connelly and his front office followed through late Saturday night when they inked Jokic to the largest contract in franchise history. The two sides agreed to a five-year, $147.7 million contract, the maximum amount of money the Nuggets could have offered Jokic under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. After making just $1.5 million last season, Jokic will earn more than $25 million in the first year of his new deal. A league source confirmed to BSN Denver Saturday night that the two sides agreed to the reported deal.

Jokic averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game last season. He also shot roughly 49.9 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three. In February, which is Jokic’s best month of basketball to date, the 23-year-old averaged 21.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game as Denver went 7-3.

After a 134-123 win over the Bucks on the eve of the All-Star break where Jokic recorded what is believed to be the fastest triple-double in league history, Nuggets coach Michael Malone compared coaching Jokic to when he coached some of the league’s current superstars.

“It’s kind of like when I was fortunate enough to coach a guy like LeBron (James) or Chris Paul or Steph Curry. You recognize greatness,” Malone said. “Obviously, there are moments in the game when you are so locked in and you’re worried about getting another stop, but some of the plays that he makes and how he makes the right play over and over again and how he makes all of his teammates better players. I do admire that. I do recognize that.

“No one in our organization takes it for granted. We feel that we have the most dynamic, best facilitator, best playmaking player, young player in the NBA. It’s going to be really fun to grow with him and see where this team and organization takes us.”

A week later, Malone said Jokic should be in the Most Valuable Player conversation after a 122-119 win over the Spurs where Jokic finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. That night, he recorded his third triple-double in as many games. Jokic finished the year with 10 triple doubles — the fourth-most in the league.

Over the Nuggets’ final 18 games of the regular season where Denver worked itself back into playoff contention, Jokic averaged 24.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists as the focal point of the offense. This season, Jokic became the third big man in league history (Wilt Chamberlain and Kevin Garnett) to average 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

“If you look at his numbers right now, the numbers are a joke,” Malone said in the midst of the Nuggets’ stretch run. “Break down his numbers, scoring, rebounding, playmaking, and the efficiency in which he’s doing so.”

In All-NBA voting, Jokic garnered 28 points — not nearly enough for a Third Team selection. He received the sixth-most points out of centers behind Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Al Horford.