Nikola Jokic went from No. 41 draft pick, to two-time MVP, and now the holder of the largest contract in NBA history.
Jokic and the Denver Nuggets agreed Thursday to a $264 million supermax extension, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor team announced the agreement.
The deal was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
It begins with the 2023-24 season and continues through 2027-28 — when, if Jokic exercises his option for that season, he could make roughly $60 million.
The Serbian star has had a meteoric rise in his seven NBA seasons, all with the Nuggets. He became an All-Star in his fourth season and has stayed at that level since, plus won MVP in each of the last two seasons after averaging 26.4 points in 2020-21 and 27.1 points this past season.
And the MVP votes haven’t exactly been close; Jokic has been atop roughly 75% of the ballots cast for that award over the last two seasons.
