Zeke Nnaji received a vote of confidence just before the start of his fourth NBA season.

The Nuggets and the reserve forward/center agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $32 million, The Denver Gazette confirmed Saturday night. ESPN was first to report the extension.

The 22-year-old projects as Nikola Jokic’s backup this season and possibly into the future. At 6-foot-9, Nnaji’s undersized for a traditional center, but his defensive versatility and 3-point shot have allowed him to be productive, when healthy, in his first three NBA seasons.

Last season, Nnaji started five of the 53 games he appeared in. Both are career-highs. He played 42 games as a rookie and 41 more in his second season. Injuries have popped up whenever Nnaji’s had a chance to earn a role in the Nuggets’ regular rotation. He played in five of Denver’s 20 playoff games last season. Heading into this season, coach Michael Malone has challenged Nnaji to be as effective as a defensive rebounder as he is on the offensive glass.

Nnaji, a Minnesota native, spent one year at Arizona before the Nuggets picked him with the 22nd overall selection in the 2020 draft. He’ll make $4.3 million this season, the final of his rookie-scale contract, before his extension kicks in.