Dirk Nowitzki on Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic playing together: ‘I hope that would be in Dallas’

If Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, arguably the two best players in the NBA, ever decide to team up, Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki — not exactly an unbiased observer — would prefer Jokic to leave the Denver Nuggets for Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, rather than the other way around.

“I hope that would be in Dallas,” Nowitzki told reporters, via Eurohoops’ Cesare Milanti. “I’m not sure if that will ever happen, but obviously both are two of the best players in the world, if not the best players in the world.”

Nowitzki, who spent his entire 21-year career, including Doncic’s rookie season, with the Mavericks, continued: “They both have a great relationship with each other, they respect each other and like each other genuinely. They spend time with each other. I’m not sure, but of course, we want Luka in Dallas as long as we can. Hopefully, he finishes his career there, but I love Jokic’s game, how he plays the game with passion, and the skill level as a big is unbelievable. They’re both incredible players.”

For now, those who want to see Doncic and Jokic on the same team can watch Goran Dragic’s farewell game on Saturday (at 2 p.m. ET on the NBA app). It will be played in Llubjana, Slovenia, which is where Nowitzki made his comments. 

Doncic and Jokic will start next to Bogdan Bogdanovic, Luis Scola and Robin Lopez as part of Team Luka. Team Gogi will feature Dragic, Steve Nash and — if I’m inferring correctly from the official list of participants and the below photo posted by Iztok Franko of digginbasketball — Nikola Vucevic, Uros Slokar and Vladimir Radmanovic.

Dragic said that he and the 50-year-old Nash will push the pace, while Doncic said his team plans to pound Team Gogi in the paint by feeding Jokic, Lopez and the 44-year-old Scola, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Nowitzki will not play in the game, but he is one of many former players involved in the event, which doubles as a celebration of Dragic’s career and a fundraiser for Dragic’s charitable foundation.