Everything seemed to be cruising along smoothly in the league, with only the usual chaos around the trade window. But no one could have predicted that Luka Doncic would end up in a purple and gold jersey. A move so unexpected that it sent shockwaves through the NBA, to the extent that some even thought Shams Charania’s social media had been hacked. But nope, it’s real. And just when things were starting to settle down, a new rumor emerged. This time, it’s Nikola Jokic on the line.

While digging into Luka Doncic’s move to the Lakers, Sam Amick of The Athletic uncovered that the Lakers weren’t the first team Dallas approached about trading the Slovenian star. In fact, there was another team that got the offer before LA, but that team turned it down. Soon, the speculations started dropping in. And the most popular theory? The other team was the Denver Nuggets.

For those who might think this is all just speculation, there’s some past evidence that suggests the possibility of the Nuggets being that team. Insider Marc Stein on the DNVR podcast talked about the bond between Doncic and Jokic and whether the two could ever pair up. “I mean, I think you can see it, that there’s just a genuine fondness there,” he said. That certainly showed last year at the All-Star weekend. “They get along great and of course that leads everyone to wonder will they ever play together. You know, it’s hard for me to understand or try to imagine a scenario where one team could find a way to get both of them.”

Moreover, Stein emphasized that their strong connection had everyone wondering if they could ever team up. “It’s hard for me to understand or try to imagine a scenario where one team could find a way to get both of them,” he added.

Even Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki weighed in on the matter last year. So, it makes sense that the Mavs would have approached Denver first. However, if the Nuggets were indeed the team that declined the offer, then it could reflect on how Jokic and Doncic’s terms actually are. But that’s in the past now. The big question on every fan’s mind at the moment is when the 25-year-old finally takes the court in his new jersey.

Speculation surrounding Luka Doncic’s return in Purple and Gold

Luka Doncic was sidelined after sustaining a left calf strain on Christmas Day. The team announced that the 5-time All-Star wouldn’t be playing for at least a month, after which his condition would be reevaluated before giving the green light. That one-month period has now passed, but the Mavericks didn’t rush his return. All they wanted was for their star player to come back fully fit. And there were expectations that he would rejoin the team in the second week of February. However, that won’t be on the cards anymore.

In the second week of February, the Lakers will be playing the Pacers and the Jazz at home, which would be the perfect opportunity for Doncic to settle in and start ramping up for his new journey unless, of course, he needs more time to fully heal. If that’s the case, he might have to wait until the game against the Hornets to make his debut, as the Lakers would likely prefer to introduce a player like Doncic to the Crypto.com Arena crowd first.