NBA record for biggest contract ever could be broken this offseason?

Feb 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

One NBA star could be lying down on a pile of money like Huell from “Breaking Bad” this offseason.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported this week that the Denver Nuggets are expected to offer reigning MVP center Nikola Jokic a five-year supermax extension this summer worth a combined $254 million. That deal, which Jokic is likely to accept, would give him the biggest contract in NBA history.

“I would like it, of course, but it’s not something that I’m deciding,” Jokic was quoted as saying about the supermax. “I think of course if it’s offered, if [the] offer is on the table, of course I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization and really like the people who work here.”

The record for the largest total contract in NBA history is currently held by Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, whose supermax extension in 2019 gave him a six-year deal worth $257 million. Giannis Antetokounmpo currently holds the record for the largest contract extension, signing a five-year $228 million supermax with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020.

While Lillard’s would still be the biggest by overall value, Jokic’s supermax would dwarf both Lillard’s and Antetokounmpo’s by average annual value, paying the Serbian nearly $51 million per year. There is little doubt too that Jokic is worthy of such a mammoth contract with his all-around skillset, a second straight MVP award likely incoming, and his hilarious marketability, all at just 27 years old.