Since Nikola Jokić’s first All-Star season in 2019, the Denver Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the NBA. Between Jokić, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. the Nuggets won a title in 2023 and have consistently been one of the most polished teams in the NBA.
After a slow start to this season, the Nuggets have found their footing and are now 7-5, poised to go on yet another playoff run. However, playing the “what if” game leads to the Nuggets having one of the most dominating dynasties in the NBA.
Recent reports have revealed that, in 2018, Denver tried to send Gary Harris and two first-round picks to the Sacramento Kings on draft night for the second overall pick. The Kings refused and selected Marvin Bagley III. However, Bagley III was not Denver’s intended target, and they would have paired Jokić with Luka Dončić.
“You can roll your eyes at that price tag, but look in retrospect,” said Mike Singer on Brian Windhorst and the Hoops Collective. “The Kings ended up taking Marvin Bagley with the No. 2 pick. I’m not saying this trade was imminent. All I’m saying is this trade was discussed and considered because the Nuggets knew Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Dončić and they tried to exploit it.”
Singer is the author of “Why So Serious?”, a Nikola Jokić biography. He posits that the Nuggets wanted to pair Jokić and Dončić together, which would have certainly turned into one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
Luka might not have turned into a superstar, but his All-NBA run in his sophomore season suggests that he was a special talent who would have been elite, anyway. He and Jokić have a well-documented friendship, and the pair would have been one of the best offensive duos in NBA history, and their combination of shooting, passing, handling and court vision would have likely won more than just one title in the Mile High City.
More NBA: Hawks save Bucks’ season in dramatic potential trade for cheap rising star
