The Los Angeles Lakers have prioritized cap space for the 2027 free agency in their failed negotiations to bring back last season’s key contributor Dorian Finney-Smith.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers expect to sign a max free agent that summer.
On Tuesday, July 8, the Lakers got a glimmer of hope about their plan as three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has informed the Denver Nuggets that he’s delaying a contract extension with the team to next summer, according to the Denver Post.
While it was a smart decision on Jokic’s part since he would be eligible to sign for more next summer, that also left the door open for the Lakers the chance to pair him up with Luka Doncic, one of his close European friends in the NBA.
@bleacherreport This is so wholesome 🥹 (via @Sports on Max) #luka #lukadoncic #jokic #nba #allstar
The Nuggets star was among the first NBA players who reached out to Doncic when the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded him to the Lakers.
Jokic passed up on signing a three-year, $200 million extension this offseason. By doing so, he will be eligible to add a fourth year at an additional $77 million, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
Nikola Jokic-Luka Doncic Dream Pairing in L.A.
A lot can happen in a year. Just ask the Lakers and Doncic.
If the Nuggets’ season goes sideways, there is no guarantee Jokic will sign that extension. He can become a free agent in 2027 if he doesn’t sign an extension and does not pick up his $62.8 million player option. But the Nuggets will certainly consider trading him if he doesn’t extend. That’s where the Lakers are hoping to leverage Jokic’s friendship with Doncic, according to Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus.
“The hope is that Jokić’s bond with Dončić is why he picks the Lakers. Denver would get most of what the Lakers have in terms of young players and draft compensation,” Pincus wrote on July 2.
The Nuggets re-tooled their roster around Jokic this offseason, trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick for Cam Johnson. They also signed Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency and reunited with Bruce Brown Jr., a key cog of their 2023 championship.
They also traded for Jonas Valanciunas to back up Jokic.
On the other hand, the Lakers signed former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton as their starting center for the next two seasons (the second year is a player option). Jokic, however, is head and shoulders above Ayton.
Lakers Have Best Odds to Land Nikola Jokic
In May, the Lakers were the betting favorites to land Jokic if he leaves Denver.
Bovada has the Lakers as +310 favorites to become Jokic’s next team. The New York Knicks (+410) own the second-best odds. A distant third are the Boston Celtics (+800). Rounding up the top five betting favorites are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, tied at +900, the Miami Heat (+1100) and the Los Angeles Clippers (+1200).
Completing Bovada’s betting list for Jokić’s next possible team are the Dallas Mavericks (+1400), Charlotte Hornets (+4500) and the Utah Jazz (+5000).
After losing to the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in a grueling seven-game series in the second round, Jokic was blunt in his assessment of whether the Nuggets could still contend for the title with their current core.
“I mean, we didn’t, so [we] obviously can’t,” Jokić told reporters after their second-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that went the distance. “If we could, we would win it. I don’t believe in those ‘If, if’ stuff. We had the opportunity; we didn’t win, so I think we can’t.”
The Nuggets heard their franchise star and responded with a solid offseason that addressed those concerns.
Now, they have to put it all together on the court to ensure Jokic remains in the Mile High.
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