Failed Luka Doncic Trade to Denver Nuggets Trade Revealed

The idea of Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic has been a basketball fantasy in the minds of NBA fans for years. It's always seemed like this pairing that seemed too extravagant to be real. It turns out, there was a moment where it almost actually happened.

According to Mike Singer, a former Denver Post reporter and now current employee of the Nuggets, the Nuggets attempted to trade up for the number two pick in the 2018 draft. The team wanted to pair Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic together as early as 2018.

"The Nuggets knew that Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic," Singer said on The Hoop Collective Podcast. "And they had designs on pairing Nikola Jokic with Luka Doncic. On draft night in 2018, they tried. There was a call placed. There was a proposal and the Nuggets attempted to get the No. 2 pick for Gary Harris and two first round picks was what I was told."

The Nuggets tried to pair up Nikola Jokic & Luka Doncic in 2018 😳

According to @MikeSinger on The Hoop Collective podcast, Denver was ready to offer a trade package centered around Gary Harris and some first-round picks.

Imagine what could have been 😲 pic.twitter.com/ujYsv467cG
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) November 18, 2024

While the asking price for Luka Doncic seems laughable, it's very much worth noting that the Kings took Marvin Bagley instead of Doncic. Vlade's insistence to not draft Doncic was something that the Nuggets were trying to exploit, according to Singer.

"I'm not saying this trade was imminent," Singer said. "All I'm saying is this trade was discussed and considered because the Nuggets knew Vlade Divas was not particularly high on Luka Doncic and they tried to exploit it."

If Nuggets' Nikola Jokic would have to pick one player to win a championship that isn't his teammate, he'd pick Mavericks' Luka Doncic:

"Luka, of course. Really good friend. That's about it." pic.twitter.com/ppXVpdmW84
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 19, 2023

The biggest question mark in this scenario is what would happen to Jamal Murray if this were to happen. However, the Nuggets still ended up with their championship, so everything worked according to plan. Still, for a moment in time, the Nuggets actually believed they had Luka Doncic.

"I have somebody saying anonymously 'For 30 seconds, we thought we had Luka.' Which is a gargantuan statement," Singer said.

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