After Being ?Deprived? of $116,094,751 by Nuggets, Nikola Jokic Earns No Higher Than 39-Year-Old Heat Legend

Nikola Jokic has one of the most remarkable paths in the NBA. He entered the league as the 41st overall pick in the second round. Over the years, he’s amassed multiple MVP awards and a championship title. His unique playing style comes with exceptional basketball IQ, passing, and scoring ability. His remarkable efficiency on the court has not only impressed fans but has also earned him recognition in the realm of statistical analysis. Talking about numbers and analytics, Jokic’s versatility poses him as invaluable for the Denver Nuggets.

However, when it comes to compensating their star player, there are lingering questions. One of them is that Jokic is underpaid by $37 million when looking at his real value in 2023. The extraordinary gap makes Jokic the league’s one of the most underpaid players. Moreover, a recent revelation adds a thought-provoking comparison of Jokic’s contract with a Miami Heat legend.

Nikola Jokic earns the same as Chris Bosh in Miami Heat

In 2022, Nikola Jokic inked a historic five-year $264 million extension with the Nuggets. At the time, it was the NBA’s most substantial contract. The mega-deal will come into effect from the 2023-24 season and will extend Jokic’s tenure to 2027-28. Right now, Jokic and Nuggets are coming off a five-year $147.7 million contract extension from 2018.

Now, from an analytical standpoint, it’s intriguing to note that Jokic’s current salary of $47.6 million for this season parallels Chris Bosh’s $20.6 million salary during the inaugural year of his contract with the Miami Heat back in 2014. Back then, the Heat re-signed Bosh to a five-year deal valued at a maximum of $118 million. These numbers take on a different perspective when you consider the salary cap dynamics at play.

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Evidently, Jokic is tanking a whopping $27 million more for the first season of his contract compared to Bosh. Furthermore, over the entirety of the deal, Jokic is slated to pocket a substantial $150 million more. However, the fascinating twist is that both contracts represent precisely 35% of the NBA salary cap at their respective times.

Courtesy of rules, there will be more ‘richest’ contracts

Jaylen Brown recently made headlines by securing the NBA’s most lucrative contract to date. He has a five-year $304 million agreement with the Boston Celtics. However, it is purely because Brown found himself in the most suitable situation to grab a deal. Despite the grandeur of his record-breaking deal, it’s important to recognize that it may not hold its lofty status for long.

According to NBA rules, a player with one or two years remaining on their contract, boasting seven or eight years of service, and a history of not changing teams (apart from the first four seasons) can negotiate a contract worth up to 35% of the salary cap. Furthermore, they should have an All-NBA first, second, or third team; or have a Defensive Player of the Year in the immediately preceding season or in two of the immediately preceding three seasons; or be named the NBA MVP during one of the preceding three seasons. Jaylen entered the 2023 offseason with one year left on his contract and seven years of service. This made him eligible for the supermax extension.?

Looking ahead, we can anticipate several other NBA stars potentially surpassing Brown’s record-setting contract. These names include Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, Jaren Jackson Jr., De’Aaron Fox, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

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