The latest news surrounding the Denver Nuggets may clear a path for the Los Angeles Lakers to land superstar Nikola Jokic. Jokic has been forced to watch as the Nuggets cheap out on their roster and downgrade his supporting cast in the name of saving money.
The most recent example was them signing and trading Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers. That netted them a first-round pick and a second-round pick and also saved money in the process.
However, it made them worse. That seems to be a recurring theme for Denver. It may also be the reason why Jokic has yet to sign a contract extension.
To his credit, he has been open about why he hasn't signed one, with it being purely financial. Then again, that may only be a part of the problem.
The Lakers' path to Nikola Jokic just got much simpler
That is where the Lakers possibly come into play. They loom as a possible landing spot—but only if Jokic actually enters free agency next summer. The main reason is that Luka Doncic is close to Jokic, not to mention it's the Lakers.
If Jokic were to leave Denver, playing in Los Angeles would seemingly be the logical choice. Even the threat of him leaving town should have the Nuggets on high alert.
Instead, they don't seem all that worried. In fact, they may use the assets from the Watson trade to try and shed more salary. Perhaps by trading Christian Braun. Yes, Braun had a lousy season last year, and yes, his contract is looking suspect.
However, trading the assets received in the Watson deal to further downgrade probably wouldn't sit well with Jokic.
How realistic is Nikola Jokic joining the Los Angeles Lakers?
Right now? Probably less than a 10% chance. Remember, a lot would have to go right for them to land Jokic, but after landing Doncic for pennies on the dollar, anything is possible.
Jokic will enter free agency next season after confirming that he won't sign an extension, so that is half the battle. Another first-round exit for the Nuggets would also help the Lakers' cause.
They would still have to convince Jokic to leave Denver and convince the Nuggets to do a sign-and-trade. That would almost certainly have to include both Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.
The Lakers wouldn't have any firsts to trade but could at least offer the Nuggets a borderline all-star in Reaves and a starting center in Kessler. If Jokic ultimately decides to leave the Nuggets for the Lakers, that would likely be the return for Denver.
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