In a stunning revelation, it’s been confirmed that the Denver Nuggets came tantalizingly close to pairing Luka Doncic with Nikola Jokic during the 2018 NBA Draft. Nuggets insider Mike Singer disclosed on The Hoop Collective Podcast that Denver attempted to trade for the Sacramento Kings’ No. 2 pick, knowing then-Kings GM Vlade Divac wasn’t high on Doncic.
“The Nuggets knew Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic,” Singer shared. “They tried to acquire the pick, offering Gary Harris and two first-rounders. For 30 seconds, they thought they had Luka.”
Instead, Sacramento infamously selected Marvin Bagley III, a decision widely criticized as one of the NBA Draft’s biggest mistakes. Meanwhile, Doncic has become an MVP-caliber star, while Jokic has led the Nuggets to their first championship.
Had Denver succeeded, the Jokic-Doncic duo could have reshaped the franchise and possibly secured multiple championships. However, some argue the shared spotlight might have delayed Luka’s rise to superstardom or impacted Jokic’s MVP-winning trajectory.
For Nuggets fans, the dream of a Jokic-Doncic pairing lingers as one of the NBA’s ultimate “what-ifs.”
