Summer Forecast: Predicting the MVP race

At the 20218 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets attempted to trade up to the No. 2 overall pick with Luka Doncic their target selection. The Sacramento Kings held the No. 2 pick that year and picked Marvin Bagley while the Atlanta Hawks did trade down from No. 3, sending the draft rights for Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 5 pick that became Trae Young and a first round pick in 2019 that became Cam Reddish.

“The Nuggets knew that Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic,” said Mike Singer 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.

“You can roll your eyes at that price tag, but look in retrospect. 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 Divas was not particularly high on Luka Doncic and they tried to exploit it.

“The wrinkle in this is if the Nuggets had ever been willing to part with Jamal Murray, we have a hell of a what-if in the annals of NBA history, but that did not happen.”

The story told by Signer, a former Denver Post reporter and current employee of the Nuggets, is also from his upcoming book on Jokic title ‘Why So Serious?‘

“I was not in the room,” added Singer. “I was not in the front office at the time. All I know is it was considered, explored, vetted, and I have somebody saying anonymously ‘For 30 seconds, we thought we had Luka.’ Which is a gargantuan statement.”