Denver Nuggets, Gary Harris Nearing Agreement on Contract Extension

The Denver Nuggets had one of the most efficient offense in the National Basketball Association (NBA) last season and many would attribute this to Nikola Jokić's transformation from bench player to franchise cornerstone.

However, the burly Serbian wasn't the only Nuggets player known for his efficiency. Shooting guard Gary Harris was a huge part of their success as well, that's why they are planning to lock him up for the long term this offseason.

According to CBS Sports' Matt Moore, the Nuggets are closing in on an extension with Harris and they are expected to finalize it before the deadline on Oct. 16.

This shouldn't really come as a surprise to Nuggets fans since general manager Tim Connelly has already noted that they consider him a key part of their core at the end of last season.

"I still don't think the league appreciates how good he is and how young he is. Gary's going to be here for a long, long time," Connelly said back in April, via Altitude TV.

"He's a guy that kind of embodies everything that we're trying to be, both as a player and as a person. Whether it's this summer or whether it's the following summer, he's going to be here for a very long time," he continued.

Harris had a break out campaign with the Nuggets last season. In 57 games, Harris averaged 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.3 minutes per game.

At first glance, his numbers may not stand out, but he's shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the three-point line. Those are very high marks for a guard. Aside from his efficiency on offense, Harris also happens to be the team's best perimeter defender.

Harris is going to be a key piece of the Nuggets' core for years to come and he has the potential to become one of the top two-way players in the league.