The Los Angeles Lakers have been connected to a dream scenario of finding a way to acquire Denver Nuggets’ superstar center Nikola Jokic on multiple occasions.
A pairing of Luka Doncic and Jokic would be nearly impossible for opposing teams to stop. The two superstars are also good friends, which would make the fit make even more sense.
While it’s always fun to dream, the Lakers’ chances of acquiring Jokic took a major hit on Thursday night into Friday morning.
Jokic and the Nuggets lost in Game 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That lost ended their season. However, it was what Jokic said after the game that has grabbed a lot of attention.
Lakers Get Clear Picture of Nikola Jokic’s NBA Future
After the game came to an end and Denver was eliminated from playoff contention, Jokic made a very clear statement about his future in the NBA.
“I still want to be a Nugget forever,” he said bluntly.
Things can change and players can change their mind. Despite that fact, Jokic is very clearly still all-in on remaining with the Nuggets and trying to lead them back to another NBA Finals win.
With that statement, the dreams in Los Angeles were all but put to an end. It’s still slightly possible that the Lakers could land Jokic in the future, but those chances of dwindled drastically.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Has Been Another Dream Scenario for Lakers
Heading into the NBA offseason, Los Angeles will be looking to make a splash. Jokic seems highly unlikely to be that splash. That could lead to the Lakers aggressively pursuing a trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo was the talk of the NBA trade deadline this year. While the Bucks chose to keep him in town, there has been a lot of speculation and belief that a trade could happen during the offseason.
Los Angeles has been one of the teams most talked about as a potential trade destination.
Jokic would be a perfect fit alongside of Doncic. Antetokounmpo would be a great Plan B option.
Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him building the Lakers long-term around Doncic. Jokic would have been the perfect dream scenario, but he has made his stance perfectly clear. Making an aggressive move to try and acquire Antetokounmpo makes a lot of sense.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors coming out of Los Angeles when the offseason gets underway. Unfortunately, it’s time to cross Jokic off the list of potential targets, at least for now.
Lakers Receive Big News on Nikola Jokic Rumors