How Nikola Jokić's supermax decision will decide the Nuggets' offseason path
Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined by senior NBA writer Tim Bontemps to discuss the Denver superstar’s contract situation and how it will impact the team’s potential moves this offseason. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
Was Denver gonna have to tear down their roster because they're cheap in order to keep Peyton Watson, or are they just gonna let Peyton Watson talk and say, "You know what?
You're overpaying him."
Well, and by the way, there's one other thing.
Is Nikola Jokic going to sign the Supermax extension?
Now, he has said he wants to be in Denver forever, but a few years ago when he had the first chance to sign this extension, what did he do?
He said, "I'm gonna sign the extension," and then he signed it.
He has not said, "I'm gonna sign the extension."
So the first question for me for Denver is, is he going to sign the extension?
Now, he may, you know, be over in Serbia and just sign the thing on July 1st or whenever he's officially able to sign it.
but that to me is one of the biggest questions the whole summer.
Like, will he sign it, and then what happens if he doesn't?
Now, I think, again, I think he's going to, but until he says, "I'm signing it," and we see him sign it, I'm at least gonna wonder if it's gonna happen or not.
He's at least in a position right now where he should at least think about it, right?
Yeah.
I mean, I would imagine.
I mean, it depends on what his goals are.
Like, if he wants to just be in Denver, sure, great.
Yeah.
Be in Denver, but if he wants to look at, "Okay, do I wanna have the best chance to win a championship?"
It's gonna be hard to do that in Denver with where they sit and where this team sits and where Oklahoma City sits.
Like, the rest of these teams in the west have a lot of work to do.
A- and it will be interesting, 'cause this is a guy who has said he wants to be a Denver lifer, but he also said that at a time where it felt like Denver was gonna be contending forever.
And now we're at a point where it's like, maybe not so much.
Yeah.
So for a guy who does have a chance to become one of the 10 greatest players in NBA history- Yep but needs another ring, maybe you do have to go somewhere else to get it, but who knows?
Maybe Denver could do something else to turn things around.
It, it will be really interesting.
And like you said, one of the, one of the interesting pivot points of the summer will be, you know, assuming Jokic extends, do they wanna keep Peyton Wa- Peyton Watson?
If so, how do they do it, right?
'Cause in theory, they're not gonna have Peyton Watson, Cam Johnson, and Christian Brown on the team.
So do they move on from Christian Brown?
Do they move on from Cam Johnson to keep Peyton Watson?
Do they let Peyton Watson leave?
Do they do a sign and trade?
Does he get overbid on and leave in free agency?
That, that will be an interesting thing, 'cause like you said, they were not good enough already, and now you're maybe going into the summer and not keeping this whole team that you already have that probably wasn't good enough.
So definitely real questions to watch for in Denver.
