Nikola Jokic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Notes: Cousins, Offseason, Future

April 28th, 2022 at 11:42am CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets backup center DeMarcus Cousins was highly productive in the team’s first-round loss to Golden State, carving out a niche on Denver’s bench, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

“DeMarcus, to be playing 10 minutes a game and to be having the productivity that he’s had, and the efficiency that he’s had, is really remarkable,” said head coach Michael Malone. “And I told him after the game (Game 4), you know, everybody wants to play more, but it’s important for DeMarcus to know the impact he’s having is real.”

In the five-game series, Cousins averaged 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in just 11.4 minutes per night, sporting a blistering shooting line of .655/.667/.733. He scored 19 points in 15 minutes during Denver’s 102-98 Game 5 defeat on Wednesday.

“He gives us a calming influence, somebody that we can — instead of trying to go up and down, go crazy — settle down, play inside-out basketball,” Malone said. “He’s gotten JaMychal Green layups and dunks at the rim, he’s kicked out for open threes, and then the last part of it, now you can step out on the perimeter and play pick-and-roll with Bones Hyland. We know DeMarcus sets really good, physical screens, and he gets guys open.”

Cousins is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he says he’s not sure if he’ll be back with the Nuggets next season, per Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com.

“I honestly don’t know what the future holds,” Cousins said. “A lot in this short time has transpired. I’m still trying to get over the fact that G.P. (Gary Payton II) hit that big shot, right? I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity. I’m happy to be a part of this group. I’m happy with the opportunity that was given to me from Mike [Malone], [president] Tim [Connelly], [general manager Calvin] Booth. To answer that question, I can’t right now. I don’t know what’s future holds.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Count Will Barton and Monte Morris among the teammates who hope Cousins is brought back for 2022/23, Kennedy writes in the same article. “Anytime you have a guy like that, you always want him back,” Barton said. “Like I say, he’s still DeMarcus Cousins — a guy who, when he’s healthy, is a very good player. Those are not my decisions; I’m not in management. Obviously, if I have a voice in the fight, I definitely would love to have him back. He was big for us on and off the court, [a] presence in the locker room. We’ll see what happens.” Morris echoed that sentiment: “Signing Boogie, man… I love him to death. A guy that would pick up 19 points in a do-or-die elimination game just shows how much heart he has, how much love he has for the game. I’m definitely proud of him… He’s a great guy.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) and HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan explore Denver’s roster possibilities in their offseason guides.
Malone is optimistic about what Denver’s future holds despite the team’s first-round exit, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “The future’s definitely bright,” Malone said. “I think we also have to understand that Jamal Murray to start the season next year is not going to be the Jamal Murray [we know] right away. I think it’s going to be a buildup, him getting comfortable and confident out there.”
Warriors forward/center Draymond Green was effusive in his praise of Nikola Jokic after Game 5, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to play against someone so talented and so skilled,” Green said of Jokic. “Usually when you have a guy that’s that talented and that skilled, they’re a little soft. He’s far, far from soft. He’s an absolutely incredible player.”
In case you missed it, Jokic said if the Nuggets offer him a five-year, super-max extension this offseason, he plans to accept it.

Jokic: If Nuggets Offer Super-Max Extension, I’ll Accept

April 28th, 2022 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

With Denver’s season officially over as of Wednesday night, Nikola Jokic has just one year left on his contract with the team. However, the star center told reporters after the Game 5 loss to Golden State that if the Nuggets offer him a five-year, super-max extension this offseason, he intends to accept it.

“I would like it, of course,” Jokic said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “… I think if (the) offer is on the table, of course I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who work here. I’m in (a) really good relationship with everybody from (the) owner to equipment manager.”

A “super-max” is the term we use for a maximum-salary contract worth more than a player would typically be eligible for. Jokic only has seven years of NBA experience under his belt, which would normally qualify him for a maximum salary starting at 30% of the salary cap. By winning last year’s MVP award, he made himself eligible for a maximum salary starting at 35% of the cap, though he wasn’t able to officially sign an extension last offseason when he still had just six years of NBA service.

This offseason, Jokic and the Nuggets are free to move ahead with that deal, if they so choose. It sounds like he’s on board and there’s no reason to believe Denver won’t be as well. Jokic is still very much in his prime at age 27, he appears to be in line for a second consecutive MVP award this spring, and he has proven himself to be extremely durable, appearing in at least 72 games in all seven years since he entered the league.

Jokic’s agent Misko Raznatovic said earlier in the year that he anticipates his client will sign a super-max extension this offseason.

The deal, if completed, would tack on five years to Jokic’s current contract, locking him up through the 2027/28 season. The exact value is not yet known, since it will depend on where the 2023/24 cap ends up. But based on a fairly conservative $125MM cap projection for ’23/24, the five-year super-max extension would be worth $253.75MM.

If Jokic were to play out his current contract without an extension, he could theoretically sign elsewhere in 2023, but his max deal with another team (about $161MM over four years, based on a $125MM cap) would fall well short of the super-max he could get from Denver. Besides, the All-NBA big man doesn’t sound like someone interested in a change of scenery.

“I think we have something that we are building,” he said on Wednesday, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “… We have pieces. We have tools. The only thing is are we going to work together. That’s the only thing.”

Nuggets Notes: Cousins, Malone, Jokic, Gordon

April 19th, 2022 at 12:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeMarcus Cousins was close to joining the Nuggets much sooner, but the Bucks moved in and signed him first, he said in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Cousins worked out for Denver general manager Calvin Booth in late November, calling the process “real quiet and hush.” He said the Nuggets wanted to sign him at the time, but didn’t have an open roster spot.

The Bucks apparently heard about the workout and brought their entire staff for a look at Cousins. They signed him immediately after his audition and he played there until January 6, being waived before his salary would have become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Cousins still doesn’t understand what went wrong in Milwaukee.

“They put all their cards on the table, told me they needed me,” he said. “They were even talking long term, and that’s why, like I said, that whole situation, it just didn’t make sense. What disappointed me the most was more so just going through my grind. For me, everything felt right. We were winning games. I showed that I’m healthy. I fit in Milwaukee perfect next to the guys that were out there. I put up numbers. Everything worked out. I don’t know. Just for it to happen the way it did.”

Cousins adds that the Nuggets called him the next day, so he never gave any thought to retiring. He signed three 10-day contracts with Denver before receiving a deal that covered the rest of the regular season.

There’s more on the Nuggets:

Coach Michael Malone stressed the need for unity after his team melted down in Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Warriors, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Not only was Nikola Jokic ejected, but Will Barton and Cousins had a heated exchange on the sidelines in the third quarter and had to be separated. “We’ve got to stick together,” Malone said. “We can’t splinter in adverse times. I just want to make sure as we get on this plane to go home that we get on that plane together, knowing that we have a chance to get our first win at home in a few days. That’s our whole focus.”
Jokic is in danger of becoming the sixth player in history to lose in the first round in the same season he was named MVP, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. Jokic, who was announced Sunday as one of the finalists for the award, has been frustrated by the officiating in the first two games of the series, saying, “I mean, it’s pretty much everything,” when asked what led to his ejection.
The Nuggets need more production from Aaron Gordon, who has missed 13 of his 19 shots so far and has a combined 15 points in the two games, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “Aaron Gordon has to be in attack mode,” Malone said. “I don’t want him settling for 3s. Put people in the rim; that’s when Aaron Gordon is at his best.”

Memphis’ Jalen Duren Entering 2022 NBA Draft

April 18th, 2022 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Memphis freshman center Jalen Duren will enter the 2022 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining college eligibility, signing with agent Chafie Fields of Wasserman, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Duren averaged 12.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 29 games (25.3 MPG) during his first and only college season, earning AAC Freshman of the Year honors and making the All-AAC First Team. Givony currently has Duren ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board and says the big man is the youngest college player projected to be drafted in 2022.

In his scouting report, Givony refers to Duren as a “major force inside the paint” on both ends of the floor, lauding his ability to protect the rim on defense and to finish at the basket on offense. The youngster also showed some promising signs as a passer and shooter, Givony adds, but even without taking major strides in those areas, he could be ready to step into a regular NBA role right away.

“A guy like Evan Mobley — he had a big impact defensively on the Cavs-bringing size, length, mobility. I want to be that kind of guy early on, have that same type of impact,” Duren told ESPN. “I also study guys like Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jokic. The ball runs through them and they can really pass. My game fits that. I can guard 1-5. Hedge and switch on ball-screens and read all the pick and rolls. I’ve developed all those things very well.”

Duren joins our ever-growing list of early entrants for the 2022 draft, which can be found right here.

NBA Announces 2021/22 Award Finalists

April 17th, 2022 at 5:28pm CST by JD Shaw

The NBA has announced the 2021/22 season award finalists for the league’s six major awards: Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.

The awards were voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The three top vote-getters for each award are the finalists. They are as follows:

Most Valuable Player:

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)

Rookie of the Year:

Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)

Sixth Man of the Year:

Tyler Herro (Heat)
Cameron Johnson (Suns)
Kevin Love (Cavaliers)

Coach of the Year:

Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies)
Erik Spoelstra (Heat)
Monty Williams (Suns)

Defensive Player of the Year:

Mikal Bridges (Suns)
Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Marcus Smart (Celtics)

Most Improved Player:

Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
Ja Morant (Grizzlies)
Dejounte Murray (Spurs)

Winners will be announced during TNT’s coverage of the NBA playoffs, according to the league.

Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Month

April 12th, 2022 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

Two of the top contenders for this season’s Most Valuable Player award have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for March/April.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned Player of the Month honors in the West, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the Player of the Month for the East, the league announced (via Twitter).

Jokic, who appeared in 19 games in March and April, capped off an MVP-caliber season by averaging 31.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.3 BPG in 34.9 MPG across those 19 appearances, shooting 63.6% from the field. Denver had an 11-8 record in the games Jokic played.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, led the Bucks to a 13-3 record in his 16 games in March and April. In 33.5 minutes per contest, he averaged 31.5 points, 12.3 reobunds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks with a .579 FG%. The team went 1-3 in March and April when Giannis was unavailable.

Jokic is the only Western Conference player to have won two Player of the Month awards this season — he also earned the honor in January. In the East, Antetokounmpo joins Joel Embiid (twice), Kevin Durant, and DeMar DeRozan as this season’s Players of the Month.

The other nominees for March/April were Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, and Karl-Anthony Towns in the West, along with Embiid, Durant, LaMelo Ball, Darius Garland, Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, and Trae Young in the East (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Simons, Lillard, Jokic, Finch

April 11th, 2022 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anfernee Simons says he’s “pretty sure” he’ll be back with the Trail Blazers next season, Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report tweets. “We both have a mutual interest in coming back,” Simons said of being a restricted free agent this summer. “I’m pretty sure it will get done.” Simons expressed back in February he “100 percent” wanted to re-sign with Portland — it seems nothing has changed since then.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Damian Lillard expects the Trail Blazers to return to prominence in the Western Conference next season and will have a say in the team’s roster building, according to Highkin (Twitter links). “A tough season, a lot of adversity this year,” Lillard said. “A lot of things came up that we didn’t expect. But I want you to know one thing: this will not continue. Next year, we’re going to be back better than before.”
Nikola Jokic gained a $534,484 bonus when the Nuggets made the playoffs again. The incentive was considered likely before the season and has no cap implications, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Jokic is a prime contender for the Most Valuable Player award once again but he knows there’s plenty of worthy candidates, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. “To be honest, I think there is a lot of guys that are playing at an extremely high level,” he said. “I’m just trying to be humble, to stay on the ground. … I don’t think about that to be honest, am I one of the best? I’m just trying to win the game.”
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch signed a multi-year extension on Monday and the team’s top executive was glad to lock him up long-term, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. “He’s just a joy to work with,” executive VP of basketball operations Sachin Gupta said. “I think the results on the floor are clear, just the drastic improvement from last year to this year, with really little change to the roster. I think he and his whole staff deserve a ton of credit for that.” Finch said, “I feel like there’s a pathway we can see to keep getting better and better. I’m just really excited to be able to say that these guys believe in what I’m doing.”

Nikola Jokic, Trae Young Named Players Of The Week

April 4th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Hawks guard Trae Young have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

It’s the second time this season that Jokic and Young have been named Players of the Week in the same week — they also both earned the honor on January 24. It’s Young’s third Player of the Week win for the season and only Jokic’s second, despite the fact that the Nuggets star is one of the MVP frontrunners.

Jokic continued his push for a second consecutive MVP award this week by putting up a monster line of 34.8 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 8.5 APG, and 2.0 SPG in Denver’s four games, three of which were victories. He poured in at least 37 points in three of those contests and grabbed at least 18 rebounds three times as well.

Young led the Hawks to four straight wins during the week of March 28 – April 3, averaging a double-double (30.3 PPG, 10.8 APG) on .462/.359/.921 shooting in 32.3 MPG. As a result of the 4-0 week, Atlanta now holds the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. The team would give itself two chances to earn a playoff spot in the play-in tournament if it hangs onto its place in the standings this week.

The other Player of the Week nominees were Dillon Brooks, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and CJ McCollum in the West, and DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Darius Garland, Kyle Lowry, and Pascal Siakam in the East (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Rivers, Embiid, Toppin, Durant, Brown

April 3rd, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by JD Shaw

Speaking to reporters this weekend, Sixers coach Doc Rivers made a case for Joel Embiid to win the Most Valuable Player award, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Embiid is currently in the midst of his best season, averaging 30.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

“Listen, I don’t get on this, but I really believe he should be the MVP,” Rivers said.

In addition to his impressive averages, Embiid has led Philadelphia to a 47-30 record. He’ll face stiff competition for the award this year, which will include Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Memphis’ Ja Morant, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Here are some other notes from the Atlantic:

The Knicks have been eliminated from playoff contention, but second-year forward Obi Toppin is showing he still cares about the games, Neil Best of Newsday writes. Toppin most recently finished with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in a loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday, showing potential at 24 years old.
The Nets dropped a 122-115 game to the Hawks on Saturday despite receiving a superstar performance from Kevin Durant, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Durant finished with a career-high 55 points on 19-of-28 shooting from the floor (68%), but it clearly wasn’t enough. Brooklyn forced just six Atlanta turnovers and allowed over 115 points for a fourth straight game.
Now that the Celtics have won 49 games, forward Jaylen Brown is halfway to meeting the criteria for a $482K bonus, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Brown will receive the bonus if Boston makes the second round of the playoffs. The incentive was deemed unlikely at the start of the season, Marks notes.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Roby, Micić, Beverley

March 29th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic appears to be the favorite as the MVP race enters the home stretch, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. In its latest straw poll of 100 media members, the network found 62 first-place votes and 860 overall points for Jokic, putting him ahead of the Sixers‘ Joel Embiid, who had 29 first-place votes and 719 points, and the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo with nine first-place votes and 593 points.

Bontemps notes that the race appears similar to last year’s when Jokic built late momentum to capture his first MVP award. ESPN’s previous poll, taken in mid-February, showed Embiid with a slight advantage.

Jokic’s statistics are nearly identical to last season as he’s averaging 26.3 points and 8.0 assists to go with a career-high 13.6 rebounds per game. He has kept Denver in the playoff race despite injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, but his candidacy could suffer if the Nuggets fall into the play-in tournament. They’re currently in sixth, two games ahead of seventh-place Minnesota.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Thunder fans may not have wanted to win Monday’s game at Portland, but Isaiah Roby did, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. With Oklahoma City locked in a tight lottery race and having only had eight available players, all of whom started in the G League this season, Roby delivered a career-high 30 points, including a clutch shot that sent the game into overtime. “With the amount of talent that we have out, nobody’s counting on us to win any games,” Roby said. “The fact that we’re going out competing against playoff teams (Denver on Sunday) and we’re winning games like tonight, that’s very encouraging. I’m just proud of the guys. Proud of the eight guys we had out there tonight.”
Vasilije Micić, whose rights are owned by the Thunder, is only interested in coming to the NBA if he believes he’ll get regular playing time, according to Eurohoops. The 28-year-old signed a three-year extension with Anadolu Efes last summer that contains an escape clause after each season. “Honestly, I have a desire to go to the NBA,” he said. “But in a way, and I told that to the people from Oklahoma, to actually play there. I don’t see myself going there to tell my neighborhood friends that I was in the NBA and bring them back an OKC jersey. That doesn’t inspire me. I also came to Efes when they were at the bottom, and I had offers of some, perhaps, better-standing names.”
Patrick Beverley has completely changed the culture surrounding the Timberwolves since arriving in an offseason trade, states Cole Huff of The Athletic, who adds that the veteran guard has inspired toughness everywhere he’s been in his NBA career.