Home Basketball ‘There was a proposition,’ Mike Singer explains the ‘BIGGEST’ reason why the Nuggets chose not to trade Doncic to rejoin with Jokic

‘There was a proposition,’ Mike Singer explains the ‘BIGGEST’ reason why the Nuggets chose not to trade Doncic to rejoin with Jokic

Basketball — 12/27/2024

Nikola Jokic has won one NBA title with Jamal Murray as his point guard, but one can only imagine how much more dominant he and Luka Doncic could have been together.

Basketball Forever в X: „Luka Doncic joining Nikola Jokić in Denver is more likely than Jokic joining Doncic in Dallas, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. https://t.co/imnshIR07w“ / X

Back in 2018, the Denver Nuggets attempted to trade up for Doncic during the NBA Draft. Former Nuggets beat writer and current team employee Mike Singer revealed on ESPN’s Hoop Collective Podcast that the team had their sights set on two players: Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The latter was eventually drafted by the Clippers at No. 11, just three spots ahead of the Nuggets’ pick.

Shaq and Kobe 2.0: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic Almost Brought Together in Denver in Insane 2018 Trade Proposal

Singer noted, “The Nuggets knew that [then Kings GM] Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic, and they envisioned pairing Nikola Jokic with him. On draft night, they made a call, proposed a trade involving Gary Harris and two first-round picks to secure the No. 2 pick.”

However, Divac opted to keep the No. 2 pick and chose Marvin Bagley III instead. Doncic was selected at No. 3 by the Hawks, who later traded him to Dallas for Trae Young (the No. 5 pick) and a future first-round pick.

The Denver Nuggets attempted to trade up in the 2018 draft to select Luka Dončić, offering a trade package centered around Gary Harris and first-round picks, per @msinger : r/denvernuggets

Since then, Doncic has flourished in Dallas, establishing himself as one of the league’s elite players and leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season. Meanwhile, Jokic has secured an NBA title and three MVP awards in Denver, supported by a strong core that includes Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr., whom the Nuggets selected in the 2018 draft.

This missed opportunity raises the question: what if Jokic and Doncic had been paired? Would they have formed a dynasty in the NBA? It’s no surprise if Nuggets fans are feeling frustrated after Singer’s revelation about their pursuit of Doncic—an event that could have changed the course of their franchise.