WEDNESDAY, 1:04pm: Lawson remains hopeful that a contract extension with the Nuggets will be finalized in the near future.
"We’ve already been negotiating and talking about it," Lawson told Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. "So my agent and the team will probably come to an agreement real soon.”
FRIDAY, 3:23pm: The Nuggets have yet to be linked to any outside free agent this summer, but it's been a busy month for the team nonetheless. Denver re-signed Andre Miller to a three-year deal, made a five-year offer to JaVale McGee, and could also be working on an extension for Ty Lawson. According to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post, Lawson is optimistic that he and the Nuggets will finalize a long-term extension in "the next month or two" (Twitter link).
Lawson, 24, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, making him eligible to sign an extension anytime between now and October 31st. If he and the Nuggets don't reach an agreement, he'll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer, but Denver showed a willingness last season to extend its own players, agreeing to new contracts with both Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos. Lawson, who will earn about $2.54MM in 2012/13, is eligible for a five-year extension that would lock him up until the summer of 2018. A four-year deal may be more likely, however, if the Nuggets want to save their "designated player" tag.
Number one pick Blake Griffin was the first of the 2009 draft class to finalize a contract extension, but he likely won't be the last. Besides Lawson, other extension candidates include James Harden, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Serge Ibaka, and Jrue Holiday.
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