Nikola Jokic's Historic Contract Extension Could Be Coming Soon

The Denver Nuggets are in for a huge 2026 offseason, with a handful of franchise-defining decisions to make. Most people have been talking about the Nuggets' decision to potentially trade either Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, or Christian Braun so that they can re-sign Peyton Watson while staying below the luxury tax. However, their biggest decision of the offseason lies in the hands of Nikola Jokic.

The three-time NBA MVP is eligible for a supermax contract extension this offseason. If he signs for the full amount, he will become the highest-paid player in NBA history in terms of average salary per season. In a long offseason, it is hard to judge when these things will actually happen, but we could see Jokic sign the extension very soon.

Jokic is eligible to start negotiating with the Nuggets about an extension the day after the NBA Finals. After the New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead over the San Antonio Spurs, that could be as early as this Sunday.

What will Jokic's extension look like?

Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts towards the bench in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Jokic is eligible to sign either a three-year, $214 million contract extension or a four-year, $278 million contract extension, depending on whether he would also opt out of his 2027-28 player option as well. Regardless, though, he is set to reach a historic salary mark.

If Jokic signs the contract worth $214 million, he would become the first player in league history to sign a contract worth over $70 million per year. His $278 million deal is an average salary of $69.5 million, which still surpasses the current record set by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($67.9M).

The expectation is that Jokic and Denver will agree to a deal with no issues. The Serbian superstar has expressed his desire to be with the Nuggets for the rest of his career, and Denver would be silly not to commit to the only player in franchise history to lead them to a championship.

Jokic is likely in complete offseason mode right now, so depending on how active his agents are, we might not see a contract get signed until after the draft. Still, there should be no rush on either side, as long as there is a mutual feeling that a deal will eventually be agreed to.

The Denver Nuggets upper management feel “very confident” that Nikola Jokic will sign a contract extension this summer, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/yzf1COBExx
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 1, 2026

After declining to sign a contract extension last summer, there was some worry that Jokic's future in Denver might not be as secure as expected. However, a year later, there seems to be no doubt, and it is clear that he was simply waiting until he was eligible for more money this offseason.

The Nuggets should be ready to give Jokic all the money he wants, as losing the greatest player in franchise history because they want to save money would be an all-time blunder. As long as Jokic has a Nuggets uniform on, the franchise will be competitive.

While the two sides might not reach a deal in the next week, it is time to start monitoring the noise coming from a potentially historic contract extension.

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