Longevity hasn't been George Karl's strong suit. But that's changing with the Denver Nuggets.

A source close to the situation said the Nuggets coach, who is entering the final year of his contract, will get a contract extension this summer. The source said the number of years and dollar amounts have yet to be worked out.

However, another source said Karl's extension could end up being for two years, which would put him under contract through the 2011-12 season. That source added there's a good chance Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien, the 2008-09 NBA Executive of the Year, also will get an extension this summer.

Karl's previous NBA coaching stops included 1 1/2-year stints in Cleveland and Golden State, 6 1/2 years in Seattle and five in Milwaukee, and he's had short runs in the CBA and in Spain. Karl already has been on the job for 4 1/2 years in Denver, so he could end up having his longest career coaching stint with one team.

Karl, 58, earned an extension by leading Denver to a 54-28 record and the Northwest Division title, and then taking the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals, where they lost a tough 4-2 series to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nuggets don't want Karl to head into the season in the final year of his contract. There is precedent for that even when the Nuggets weren't winning in the playoffs.

In the fall of 2006, when Karl had been 2-8 in the postseason for the Nuggets in two appearances, Karl was heading into a season of possibly being a lame duck. However, the Nuggets picked up a three-year option on his contract, meaning his deal would expire in the summer of 2010 rather than in the summer of 2007.

Karl makes $3 million per season. A good bit of the money he earns is deferred.

Also in line for an extension is Warkentien, who also has one year left on his contract. Warkentien was named the NBA's top executive largely for brokering a deal in which the Nuggets got point guard Chauncey Billups last November from Detroit, a season-changing move.

This is a summer in which the Nuggets are preaching stability. Despite other teams in the West beefing up, Karl believes the Nuggets have what it takes with holdover players to make a championship run.

Denver's first priority in free agency was to re-sign center Chris Andersen, which they did. Andersen got a five-year deal that starts at $3.7 million and will be worth at least $21 million. Incentives could make the contract worth as much $26 million.

The Nuggets also want to retain free-agent point guard Anthony Carter, but they're only willing to give him another minimum contract. Carter has played the past two seasons under minimum deals and wants a multi-year contract, but so far he's had few feelers from any teams about such a deal.

The Nuggets lost starting shooting guard Dahntay Jones, who signed a four-year, $11 million deal with Indiana. But that wasn't a surprise since the Nuggets didn't want to pay Jones significant money and Karl already has earmarked J.R. Smith, runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man Award, as next season's starting shooting guard.

Denver's other free agents are forward Linas Kleiza, who is restricted, center Johan Petro and Jason Hart, a guard who has little chance of returning. Karl has acknowledged the Nuggets could lose Kleiza.

Kleiza has been given a one-year, 2.7 million qualifying offer, which, if he takes, would let him become an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, if a team throws an offer sheet at Kleiza for an amount a good bit above that, the Nuggets might not match it.

The Nuggets didn't pick up the qualifying offer on Petro, making him an unrestricted, rather than restricted free agent. However, his agent, Sam Goldfeder, said that's not necessarily an indication Petro won't return to Denver. Goldfeder said he's talked to both Warkentien and Karl and "they're big fans" of his client.

However, any deal in which Petro were to return to Denver likely would be for the minimum. The Nuggets have 10 players under contract and since-waived Antonio McDyess' deal still on the books for a total of about $74 million. And, with three roster spots still to fill, they apparently don't want their payroll to go much above $77 million, which would be about $7 million over the luxury-tax threshold of $69.92 million.

After signing Andersen, the Nuggets have a little more than $2 million left on their mid-level exception of $5.854, and they have their bi-annual exception of $1.99 million. They are looking at free-agent big man Channing Frye, but indications are they don't want to pay him an amount close to $2 million.

Chris Tomasson has covered the NBA for the bulk of the past 23 seasons, most recently the Denver Nuggets for the late, great Rocky Mountain News. He is a regular contributor to Pro Basketball News and can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com.