Mike Singer on the 2018 Draft: “[The Nuggets] knew that Vlade Divac was not high on Luka Doncic… There was a call placed. There was a proposal, and the Nuggets attempted to get the number 2 pick for Gary Harris and 2 first round picks is what I was told…”
”Going into [the 2018 NBA Draft], there was a guy who they [the Nuggets] were very interest in trying to land and the Nuggets knew that the number two pick — which the Sacramento Kings owned — they knew that Vlade Divac was not high on Luka Doncic… The Nuggets had designs on pairing Jokic with Luka Doncic, and on draft night on 2018 they tried [to make it happen]. There was a call placed. There was a proposal, and the Nuggets attempted to get the number 2 pick for Gary Harris and 2 first round picks is what I was told… I’m not saying this trade was imminent. All I’m saying is this trade was discussed and considered.”
According to Mike Singer, not only did Vlade Divac make one of the larger whiffs in NBA draft history, he was also considering trading down in one of the more loaded draft classes in recent years.
Also later in this episode, Mike Singer said the Nuggets were very close to trading for Jrue Holiday at the 2020 trade deadline, and that if there were another hour or so added to the deadline, they probably would have gotten the deal done with NOLA. This hypothetical deal would have probably prevented Denver from trading for Aaron Gordon the following season.