Nikola Jokic's Former Teammate Doubts Potential Luka Doncic Team-Up

The NBA is becoming dominated by international talent, especially as we see Victor Wembanyama thriving in the Finals at just 22 years old, while each of the previous eight MVP winners is foreign.

Two of the best players in the league, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, are both European, and the two superstars have been able to build a connection. Does that mean we could see them team up in the future?

Obviously, on the surface, it is very unlikely. The Denver Nuggets will never willingly let go of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, while the Los Angeles Lakers would be silly to ever part with Luka Doncic after lucking into one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history to acquire him.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic talks with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic — Jan 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (left) talks with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (right) after the game at the American Airlines Center. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Vlatko Cancar, Jokic's former Nuggets teammate, shares that same sentiment, doubting that his two good friends would ever team up in the NBA, although he does not rule out the possibility.

"My answer is that I don't see that possibility. In my opinion, Nikola himself will never leave Denver, while on the other hand, in my opinion, Luka is now cemented in LA. It doesn't seem realistic to me that there would be any trade here at any time now, or that either of them would leave as free agents to team up somewhere. At least not while they are at their peak or at least close to it," Cancar told Ekipa's Andrej Miljkovic, translated to English.

"Maybe, really maybe it would be possible that Nikola would be 40 years old and would go to play another season in Los Angeles for a minimal fee, like some players have done in the past, and Luka would still be there at that time."

Cancar does not see the team-up happening, at least not while the superstars are in their prime, but the idea of this duo is certainly worth talking about.

The only way this happens

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, the only way this superpowered team-up happens is if Jokic leaves Denver in free agency to sign with the Lakers. Sure, Doncic could technically leave the Lakers to sign with the Nuggets in certain circumstances, but the two would be much more likely to team up in a bigger market.

The soonest this could happen is the 2027 offseason. Jokic could decline a contract extension this summer, then opt out of his player option for the 2027-28 season, allowing him to hit the open market next year. Obviously, this is the Nuggets' worst nightmare, and fortunately for everyone involved, there is a zero percent chance of this happening.

The Denver Nuggets upper management feel “very confident” that Nikola Jokic will sign a contract extension this summer, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/yzf1COBExx
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 1, 2026

It seems obvious that Jokic and Doncic will not actually team up in their prime, but since Cancar talked about the crazy scenario in his recent interview, it has sparked some conversations about what that would look like.

If the Nuggets had any way of pairing Jokic with Doncic, it would be a no-brainer. However, it is far too realistic to even think about how they could possibly get that done.

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