The Denver Nuggets reportedly eyed Point Guard Luka Doncic in 2018. The Atlanta Hawks initially selected Doncic, 25, with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft before trading him to the Dallas Mavericks for the draft rights of Point Guard Trae Young and a protected future first-round pick in 2019. Young, 26, became a star player for the Hawks, but there have been “what if?” scenarios since then.
However, this article’s “what if?” scenario isn’t about the Hawks and Mavericks, but the Nuggets and Mavericks instead. The Mavericks would’ve shaken up the NBA landscape in 2018 had they traded Doncic to the Denver Nuggets as part of a draft night trade. Read on for further details.
Nice Try, Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets reportedly tried to trade for Luka Doncic on the night of the 2018 NBA Draft to pair him with Center Nikola Jokic. Doncic hails from Ljubljana, Slovenia, while Jokic, 29, was born and raised in Sombor, Serbia (formerly part of Yugoslavia). If the Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks hashed out a trade, the two teams could’ve shaken up the NBA landscape significantly.
American sportswriter Mike Singer recently appeared on an episode of “The Hoop Collective” and said, “The Nuggets knew that Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic. 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.”
Denver Nuggets’ Future
The Denver Nuggets were right in the end. The Nuggets eventually won their first-ever Western Conference Championship and subsequent NBA title in 2023. At the time, Denver was reportedly aware that Vlade Divac and the Sacramento Kings had the second overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft and weren’t sold on Doncic. Divac, 56, and the Kings selected Power Forward and Center Marvin Bagley III with the pick, which could be described as a swing and a miss. Bagley III, 25, struggled with interior defense and tunnel vision at the rim as an injury-prone player.
That said, Denver and Dallas’ failed trade doesn’t look so bad (in hindsight). The Nuggets have made the NBA Playoffs in all five of the years since then. The Mavericks advanced to the NBA Playoffs in four of the five years except for the 2022-23 NBA season, where they missed out on a playoff spot after finishing third in the Southwest division of the Western Conference.
Dallas Mavericks’ Future
The Dallas Mavericks’ future is quite bright because of Doncic. The Mavericks haven’t won an NBA title in the Luka Doncic era, but Doncic is their franchise player, a centerpiece of what they’ve been building since 2018, and the primary reason they made it to the NBA Finals in 2024. The Mavericks are projected to be contenders for years to come, thanks to Doncic, who’s arguably also a generational talent.
The Mavericks might not have achieved as much success if they proceeded with the trade with the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets reportedly failed to include Point Guard Jamal Murray in the trade. Murray, 27, has several talents, such as scoring, assisting, rebounding, stealing, pick-and-roll, and deep-ball threat. Murray has also won a few awards, including but not limited to, NBA Rookie of the Month in 2016, NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2019, and NBA Champion in 2023.
The Mavericks and Nuggets will meet again on Friday, November 22 at 8:00 p.m. Mountain time. The Mavericks’ away game against the Nuggets in Ball Arena in downtown Denver will be the third game of the Emirates NBA Cup’s Group Stage. The Nuggets’ home court advantage might work in their favor due to the high altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level.
