Updates: NBA Media Rights, McLemore, Experiments, Nikola Jokic

Although the NBA’s current television/media rights deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2024/25 season, most sources expect a new agreement to be reached by the summer of 2024, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required).

There was some speculation in recent years that the NBA’s next media rights deal could triple its current nine-year, $24 billion contract in terms of total value, but most teams are expecting an increase in the range of 100-150% rather than 200%, says Badenhausen. The next agreement could include as many as five broadcast partners, including three on the “linear side” and two streaming services, Badenhausen adds.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

• After parting ways with Greek team AEK Athens, longtime NBA guard Ben McLemore appears to be close to lining up his next destination in Europe. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports that McLemore is in advanced talks to join Manisa Büyükşehir Belediyespor, which is 6-5 in Turkish League play so far, tied for fifth out of 16 teams. McLemore, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 draft, last played in the NBA in 2021/22 with Portland.
• In an entertaining piece for The Ringer, Howard Beck rates the NBA’s best and worst experiments of the Adam Silver era, from the play-in tournament (five stars) to disasters like shirseys and the creation of an end-of-season awards show (one star apiece).
• Elsewhere at The Ringer, NBA writers Beck, Danny Chau, Rob Mahoney, Zach Kram, and Michael Pina handed out their awards for the first quarter of the 2023/24 season. The only award they fully agreed on was Most Valuable Player — all five votes went to Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.

Nuggets’ Michael Malone Makes Light of NSFW Remark That Resulted in Nikola Jokic’s Expulsion

Nuggets coach Michael Malone was just as perplexed by Nikola Jokić’s ejection from Tuesday’s game versus the Bulls as the rest of the NBA fanbase. Jokić was ejected in the second quarter of Denver’s 114-106 win over Chicago for arguing with an official about a no-call after he missed a shot at the rim.

The official charged him with a technical foul and subsequently ejected him from the game, eliciting boos from the crowd and even disbelief from the Bulls announcers. It’s believed that Jokić said to the official, “Motherf—er, call the f—ing foul,” according to multiple sources.

In a postgame press conference, Malone responded to Jokić’s NSFW remark, downplaying the seriousness of the incident. “When I heard what [Jokić] said, I said, ‘I don’t understand the problem because when I grew up, that was a term of endearment.'”

Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon also took a lighthearted approach to Jokic’s ejection and told reporters after Tuesday’s win, “We just want Jokić to get ejected as quick as he can… See if we can make it happen from there.”

Prior to his ejection, Jokić had four points, nine rebounds, and six assists. The Serbian big man will be back in action when the Nuggets play the Nets on Thursday.