Grading ESPN’s hypothetical Nuggets-Mavericks Luka Doncic trade

Doncic and Jokic seem like best buds. Every time they play each other or team up together during All-Star Weekend, they can’t help but mess with each other while sharing laughs and smiles along the way. This European friendship seems like it would translate to on-court chemistry, and considering the measly price the Lakers had to pay for Doncic, the Nuggets should have considered offering Dallas a trade package.

After all, despite winning the championship only two seasons ago and having tons of team continuity, the Nuggets have struggled late in the season. Jokic is dominating from a statistical perspective unlike we’ve ever seen before, but Denver keeps losing games, and some fans think a roster blow-up might be necessary if these struggles continue into the postseason.

Jokic, who is fresh off of a 61, 10 and 10 game, is averaging 30 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists this season. Doncic is the only active player who comes close to those numbers, as he averages 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists. Neither player is overly athletic, but their skill levels are unmatched, as are their basketball IQs.

Both demand a high usage rate, so this wouldn’t be the cleanest pairing, but Doncic has thrived alongside other ball-dominant players such as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Jokic’s unselfishness could have made it work, too. Defenses really can’t stop Jokic or Doncic, so the two paired together would have been nightmare fuel for opposing teams.

This trade still leaves Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon in Denver, too. A big four of Jokic, Doncic, Murray, and Gordon would be so dominant that it really wouldn’t have mattered that the Nuggets wouldn’t have any depth.

Grade: A+

The Mavericks get some young talent back for Luka Doncic

The Mavericks had a plan when they traded away Doncic. Despite making the NBA Finals last season, Nico Harrison felt that the team needed more defense, so they targeted Davis. While Davis is a great player, it just didn’t make a lot of sense to trade for such an injury prone player, especially considering he is 32 years old.

Christian Braun isn’t close to the defensive player that Davis is, but he is pretty solid on that end. Braun has entered the Most Improved Player conversation this season, largely because he thrives so much in transition and as a slasher. Michael Porter Jr. would be the center of this trade package for the Mavericks, though.

Porter is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA despite his 6-foot-10 frame. That skill set has thrived alongside a passer like Jokic, so it would work great with a guard capable of collapsing defenses like Irving. The 2031 first-round pick they’d receive here is also extremely valuable. By that point, Jokic might be out of the league, which could put Denver’s pick in the lottery.

The Nuggets don’t have much to offer in terms of draft capital, and they definitely don’t have the defensive players that the Mavericks have coveted. Because of that, a Doncic trade to Denver was likely never in the cards. Even with how much it was criticized, the Davis acquisition was probably better for Dallas than a Nuggets trade would have been.

Grade: F+