Nikola Jokic reportedly tells Nuggets he will not sign extension this summer

The headline can raise eyebrows, but the reality is this is what was expected all along.

Jokic is eligible for a three-year, $206.4 million extension as of July 8 — and Nuggets management has said they would offer it — but he told the Denver Nuggets that he is not going to sign it this summer, waiting to discuss a contract with the team next summer, reports Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

The reason: He can get nearly $80 million more in a max extension next summer. The projected max he could sign at that time is $285.4 million.

It is in Jokic’s interest to wait. Jokic, 30, is not an older player or one with an injury history where there is an added motivation to grab the money on the table now because it might not be there in a year. It will be. Jokic is widely considered the best player in the world and is at the peak of his powers, coming off a season where he averaged a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game — and finished in the top two in MVP voting for the fifth consecutive season.

Jokic returns next fall to a team that is going to be different. David Addelman is now the full-time head coach, having taken over for Michael Malone late in the season and leading the Nuggets to the second round and a Game 7 against the eventual champion Thunder. Michael Porter Jr. is gone, replaced by an equally good shooter but better defender and more consistent player in Cameron Johnson. There is more depth on the bench in the form of Tim Hardaway Jr. and the return of Bruce Brown. These Nuggets enter the season as legitimate title contenders.

And after what should be another impressive season, a max extension for Jokic will be on the table next summer.