Detroit Pistons: Is there a trade out there for the #1 pick?
Detroit Pistons: Trading for the #1 pick
Nikola Jokic
Like Giannis, Jokic is a multiple-time MVP winner who immediately raises the ceiling of what any team can be. He’s also 28-years-old and also under a contract that will pay him between $48-56 million per season (phew!) up until a whopping $61 million player option in the 2027-28 season when he’ll be 33-years-old.
So any team trading the #1 pick for Jokic would get more guaranteed years out of him. I would also say that Jokic is a safer bet just because his game doesn’t rely on athleticism like Giannis’, so he is likely to age well and still be effective well into his mid to late 30’s.
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He has never been one to miss a lot of games, and he’s the type of player that can make every other player on the team better.
The Nuggets also have more in terms of assets to attach to any deal, so they could swing for the fences and try to trade for the #1 pick.
The only knock against Jokic, who is still somehow underrated, is that he’s not the type of player who is going to put butts in the seats of your arena, where Wembanyama is estimated to bring $500 million in instant revenue to whatever team gets lucky enough to draft him.
Because of his guaranteed years and the style he plays, Jokic is closer to being a possibility for a trade, but it’s still hard to see any team giving up Wemby for a guy who makes nearly $50 million next season when they can have Victor on a rookie deal.