DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic reiterated his pledge to sign a long-term extension with the Denver Nuggets next summer.
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Jokic → reiterate → Nuggets
Only this time, he added a caveat.
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he → add → caveat
“If they want me,” the three-time NBA MVP cracked Monday at media day.
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MVP → want → day
The decision to hold off on a new deal makes financial sense, but it has created angst among the fan base.
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it → hold → base
By waiting until next summer, Jokic can sign a five-year supermax contract that would be worth in the vicinity of $350 million.
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that → wait → million
By waiting until next summer, though, there’s always that chance he could exit should the team struggle.
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team → wait → summer
Hopefully, they trust me,” Jokic said in reference to the front office and staying put.
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Jokic → trust → office
The face of the franchise is coming off a season in which he averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists as he finished runner-up in the MVP voting to Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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he → come → Alexander
Jokic began in Denver.
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Jokic → begin → Denver
He won the city its first NBA title in 2023.
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He → win → 2023
He has no designs on leaving town.
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He → have → town
His preference is to follow in similar footsteps as Stephen Curry, the two-time MVP who recently signed an extension to remain with the Golden State Warriors, the team that drafted him.
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that → follow → him
“I was here when we basically were a so-so team and we won a championship, and we still have a capability and have opportunity to compete on a high level, and to win a championship,” said the 31-year-old Jokic, who was taken in the second round in 2014.
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who → win → 2014
“For me, it’s legacy.
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it → ’ → me
You want to be legendary, and you want to be remembered, so I think that’s the way how you do it, in my way of thinking,”
Jokic still enjoys the grind as much as ever.
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Jokic → want → grind
Well, the games, anyway, and being with teammates such as Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, who helped him deliver that NBA title three years ago.
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who → help → title
“Fighting with your friends against other teams,” Jokic said, “is always a fun thing to do.”
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Jokic → fight → teams
What the front office has to say
The front office shares Jokic’s view that he will be around for the long haul.
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he → say → haul
“We have no concerns,” said Ben Tenzer, the executive vice president of basketball operations for Denver.
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Tenzer → have → Denver
But what if the Nuggets get off to a rocky start?
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Nuggets → get → start
“We have no concerns there,” Tenzer reiterated.
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Tenzer → have → concerns
The Nuggets are chalking up being eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round last April to untimely injuries and a “bad 10 days, that cost us our season,” coach David Adelman explained.
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Adelman → chalk → season
They’re leaning more into the notion they won 54 games and were the No. 3 seed.
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they → lean → games
“You’re going to have these years where you play really well and the ending is not storybook.
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ending → go → years
It’s the exact opposite — it’s a horror story,” said Adelman, whose squad has made the playoffs in eight straight seasons.
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squad → ’ → seasons
“I believe we’re in the mix, like we’ve been throughout all these years.”
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we → believe → years
On the injury front, Braun said an ankle that hampered him last season is healthy again.
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that → say → him
“I feel like I’ve grinded hard enough on it all summer and put myself in a good spot,” the high-flying guard said.
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guard → feel → spot
“I’m ready to go.
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I → ’m → ?
Same with Gordon, who’s been dealing with soft-tissue ailments, including a tight calf during the playoffs.
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who → deal → playoffs
“I got into the league at 18 years old, and I could roll out of bed and play 48 minutes, and then go back to bed,” the 31-year-old Gordon said.
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Gordon → get → bed
“Then wake up the next day like I didn’t play, ready for a back-to-back.
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I → wake → back
I used to make fun of all the old guys for having to get to the gym an hour earlier, two hours early, and do all these warm ups and cool-down exercises, all these like funky tricks of the trade that they picked up throughout their time.
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they → use → time
“Now I have a bunch of tricks of the trade.
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I → have → trade
I need to be here much earlier and stay much later, and I need to invest a lot more time warming up and a lot more time cooling down, so I can be available for these guys.”
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I → need → guys
The Nuggets saw promising small forward Peyton Watson end up in Cleveland as part of a five-team deal in late August.
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Watson → see → August
Denver did bring in 37-year-old veteran DeMar DeRozan, a six-time All-Star looking for his first championship in his 18th season.
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Denver → bring → season
He picked the Nuggets for a reason — Jokic & Co.
“When you have the best player in the world,” DeRozan said, “anything’s possible.”
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anything → pick → world
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