Nikola Jokic has never been one to chase headlines, but his excitement for the Denver Nuggets’ new direction is impossible to ignore.
“I mean, they definitely changed the team,” Jokic told reporters, ESPN reported. He reflected on an offseason that saw Denver reshape its roster and front office. The Nuggets took the interim tag off coach David Adelman, promoted Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace to replace general manager Calvin Booth, and made a flurry of moves to give Jokic the kind of depth he’s been asking for.
That new depth includes sharpshooter Cam Johnson, acquired in the Michael Porter Jr. trade with Brooklyn, as well as veterans Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas.
“Bruce is back. We won with him. Need to save his career again,” Jokic joked. “We have Cam and Jonas—we have a bunch of new guys. We have Holmes healthy. We’ll see. It’s a new energy, new beginning for us. Hopefully, we can do something.”
Two years removed from winning their first NBA title, the Nuggets have made it clear they’re still all-in on maximizing their MVP’s prime. Jokic, now entering the third year of his five-year, $276 million supermax contract, chose not to sign a $212 million extension this summer, because next year, that same deal jumps to $293 million.
“I mean, I don’t think about it,” Jokic said. “I think those contract extensions come as a reward, as something that is natural to the sport. Especially in today’s NBA how you see how the salary cap is growing and everything.”
While he didn’t explicitly say whether he’ll sign it next summer, his intentions were clear: “My plan is to be a Nugget forever.”
Brown, who rejoined the team after brief stops in Indiana and Toronto, echoed the sentiment.
“Indy was great for me when I was there but it was only three months,” Brown said. “And once I got to Toronto we were on two different roads, right? They were rebuilding … and I was past that time. So, I think right away, as soon as I got there, I wanted to come back.”
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