On the heels of the Denver Nuggets parting ways with coach Michael Malone, betting odds have the Lakers as the favorites to be Nikola Jokic’s next team.
While Jokic has spent the entirety of his career in Denver, it’s no secret that he and Luka Doncic are friends. Given the pair’s connection, Bovada has the LA Lakers as the betting favorites to be Nikola Jokic’s next team.
After the news of Malone being fired, opening odds hit Bovada, with LA as a +500 favorite, and the next-highest NBA team being the Toronto Raptors, who opened at +1000 odds.
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The sportsbook notably has KK Mega Basket, and KK Joker, two teams that compete for the top league in Serbia, as the second and third-place contenders to land the three-time MVP.
KK Joker is the club where Jokic got his start as a kid, and after the Nuggets big man’s rise to superstardom, the club rebranded to KK Joker.
Of course, Jokic is currently on a multi-year extension with the Nuggets that won’t see him catch a whiff of free agency until the summer before the 2027-28 season, when he’s faced with a player option.
Given that, if Jokic is to land with the LA Lakers, it will have to be via trade.
“He can come,” – Looking back at Nikola Jokic’s comments about potentially joining forces with Luka Doncic prior to the 2024 All-Star Game
While Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic haven’t played on the same team during the regular season, the pair’s friendship is on full display during All-Star Weekend.
Given that Doncic missed this year’s All-Star Game in San Francisco, Jokic joked about missing him, however, last year, the three-time MVP was asked about the possibility of the two playing alongside one another.
In response to the question, which was asked in Serbian during his All-Star Media Availability following the 2024 All-Star Game in Indiana, Jokic said he doesn’t want to leave Denver, and if Doncic gets tired of Dallas, he’s welcome to join him.
“I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t want to leave Denver. I like it here, and it’s a great organization. If Luka gets pissed off in Dallas, then he can come.”
The big question now, of course, is whether, in the wake of Michael Malone’s firing, Nikola Jokic’s stance on staying in Denver has changed.
Malone and Jokic both joined the Nuggets at the same time, prior to the start of the 2015-16 season. During their ten seasons together, the two made several deep postseason runs before winning the 2023 NBA Championship.
Although the team has struggled as of late, winning just three of their last ten, there’s no telling whether Jokic was in favor of the front office’s decision.
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Edited by Evan Bell
