CHARLOTTE – Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic stood over Jerami Grant, arms corked in a flex.

Jokic was mimicking the strength Grant displayed after he slipped into a crease, drew a foul and dropped in a layup during the waning moments of Thursday’s dramatic win over Charlotte.

Grant, Denver’s Swiss Army Knife offseason acquisition, saved six of his 11 points for the fourth quarter. His biggest moment, however, came on the defensive end after he’d already played 17 consecutive minutes to end the game.

Up 114-112 with 5.1 seconds left, the Nuggets deployed their switch-everything lineup, featuring Grant, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Torrey Craig and Mason Plumlee. A series of screens tried to coerce a mismatch, but between Harris, Craig and Grant, none could be found. Grant, theoretically a power forward, squared up against Hornets guard Terry Rozier, shuffled his feet and kept his core low. With a balanced lunge, Grant extended his left arm deep into Rozier’s shooting pocket.

“I almost blocked it,” joked Grant, some twenty minutes after his contest help secure the Nuggets’ 18th road win of the season. The moment was a microcosm of the versatility Denver’s decision makers coveted when they traded a first-round pick for the stretch forward last summer.

“I think the reason we were so excited on the night of that trade while we were in Vegas was because of everything Jerami’s shown us throughout the season,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The 3-point shooting, the defense, the playmaking, the versatility, and I think we’ve seen him play some small forward.”

Jokic marvels at Grant’s jack-of-all-trades defense, with the ability to stymie scorers from Phoenix’s Devin Booker to Los Angeles’ Kawhi Leonard, but he’s quick to point out that he doesn’t need a frontcourt security blanket.

“No, I still handle that myself by letting them score,” Jokic cracked.

Grant’s durability – not to mention the ease with which he’s floated between the starting lineup and a reserve role – has been invaluable so far for the Nuggets. When Paul Millsap battled a balky knee in January, it was Grant who registered one of his best months of the season. In 22 games as a starter, Grant averaged 14.5 points on 48% shooting, including over 40% from 3-point range.

The biggest transition, Grant said, was finding his spots in the offense. Playing at Russell Westbrook’s breakneck pace in Oklahoma City didn’t necessarily complement his best attributes.

“Everything is a completely different adjustment, it’s a completely different team,” Grant said. “Pace that we play at. … A lot of passing and cutting, learning my teammates, obviously playing with Jokic.”

After starters Jamal Murray, Harris and Barton, it’s Grant who receives the most assists from Jokic, per NBA.com. Naturally, Grant prides himself on his adaptability.

“To me, it’s just basketball,” Grant said. “I’ve always had to do a bunch of different things in my career.”

In addition, there were plenty of NBA insiders who felt the Thunder, amid their offseason rebuild, sold high on Grant’s 39% 3-point shooting. Since coming to Denver and playing alongside liberal passers in Jokic and Murray, Grant has matched that career-high mark from distance.

“People talk, people say a lot of different things, but only you know,” Grant said. “All the fans and media aren’t there with you in the gym in the summer. … People talk, I’m not too worried about that.”

Jerami’s dad, 11-year NBA veteran Harvey Grant, credited his son for erasing the so-called weaknesses in his game. Coming out of Syracuse, Grant said the knock on his son was he couldn’t play NBA defense, a slight to coach Jim Boeheim’s preferred 2-3 zone. The younger Grant said he hit the weight room and carved a frame that could hold up against NBA power forwards while remaining lithe enough to switch onto perimeter players.

Next, according to the elder Grant, critics doubted Jerami’s outside shooting.

“So what did he do?” Grant said in a recent phone interview. “He went in the gym and he worked on shooting the threes. I give all the credit to him. I want to take some of it, but I can’t take no credit for shooting the three.”

Harvey and his twin brother, Horace, drained a combined 69 3-pointers in their respective NBA careers – a time when power forwards “weren’t really allowed to shoot the three,” Harvey joked.

But despite their disparate skillsets, Harvey can’t help but rib Jerami over his rebounding totals. At 6-foot-8, with uncanny bounce and a vast wingspan, the elder Grant reasons his son should be snagging more than 3.5 rebounds per game.

“I’ve told him, ‘I’m like dude, if you were just under the basket, if you’re somewhere around the basket, two or three rebounds will fall in your hands,’” Harvey said.

Jerami sheepishly acknowledged the merit of his dad’s remark. Of course, crashing the glass wouldn’t allow for the suffocating perimeter defense he’s known to play.

With free agency potentially looming, it’s a good bet Grant will turn down his $9.3 million player option this upcoming summer and see what he might command in a thin class. How the Nuggets handle both he and Millsap’s impending free agency will likely determine how much flexibility they have this summer.

“We’ll see how it goes in the offseason,” Grant said. “It’s definitely all situational, but I’m definitely comfortable here. I love my teammates, love the coaches, everything.”