Nikola Jokic says he intends to re-sign with Nuggets, ‘if they want me’

Nuggets fans wondering whether Nikola Jokic plans to stick around can probably relax. Probably.

Asked about his contract situation at Media Day, Jokic offered about as definitive an answer as possible.

“I’m going to sign next year,” he said, via Pat Graham of the Associated Press.

Then he paused. “If they want me,” he said.

Yes, Nikola. Something tells us they’ll want you.

Jokic passed on an extension this offseason, but there was a fairly compelling reason — money. Waiting until next summer would make the three-time MVP eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $350 million.

Naturally, declining a contract still created some nervousness in Denver. Jokic insists there shouldn’t be any.

“I’ve been more than open about it,” he said. “Hopefully, they trust me.”

He also talked about legacy and the appeal of spending an entire career with one franchise. Jokic arrived in Denver as a second-round pick in 2014, eventually delivering the Nuggets their first championship.

“You want to be legendary, and you want to be remembered,” he said. “So I think that’s the way how you do it, in my way of thinking.”

So there you have it. Jokic intends to stay in Denver. Denver intends to keep Jokic. Assuming, of course, they want him.