NBA All-Star Game Thread 2022

[Mr B]

Luka doing some recruiting. I know some here think it’s a mistake for the Mavs to put all their resources into making a run at Jokic but the Mavs might actually have a legit shot at getting him to leave Denver. If they can create the room they should definitely make a run at him.

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It's not recruiting, it's type of humour from those parts. You can see the same behaviour from Boban towards Luka and vice versa daily. Waiting for Jokic is the same long shot as it was waiting for Giannis.

Longer shot, Giannis had catastrophic PO failures before extending, Jokic was in the WCF despite injuries.

Shaq made it to the Finals with a very good Orlando team (which included a young Penny Hardaway) and still left for a place he felt he’d be happier. Just saying it’s not completely unheard of for a player to leave a very good team if he feels he would be just as successful if not more.

A team built around Luka/Jokic would be better than the team Jokic has in Denver right now.

[Mr B]

It's not recruiting, it's type of humour from those parts. You can see the same behaviour from Boban towards Luka and vice versa daily. Waiting for Jokic is the same long shot as it was waiting for Giannis.

Longer shot, Giannis had catastrophic PO failures before extending, Jokic was in the WCF despite injuries.

Mavs won't get MVP candidate to sign as FA ever. I hope they have better plan to make roster better.

Do you happen to have this weeks Texas lotto numbers too?

[Mr B]

Don't think Mavs need MVP candidate, but they need better role player, Replace Powell with rebounding shot blocking big (Capella for example), replace THJ or Bertans with Gordon/Grant type forward, with Brunson, Bullock, Dinwidde, it's good enough team IMO.

You’d rather chase role players instead of giving the Mavs a chance to bring in Jokic?

[Mr B]

Obviously this is all speculation as Cuban cant come out and say they'll go after Jokic, that's tampering. But I will say this, whenever you get a chance to put yourself in play for an all star, you have to take your shot. It's not about putting your eggs in one basket, as the Mavs will get an idea even before Jokic hits the market. His agent is Jeff Schwartz. Pretty sure he would text Cuban way before if Jokic intends to entertain meetings with other teams. These are not high school kids, they know what they are doing.

Also on the flip side, you cant be too negative about it too Bob. You cant not root for Jokic to Dallas and at the same time wear your "Luka needs better teammates" t-shirt. They're trying to get an all star, what else of a better teammate are you looking for? Look, it's not binary. You can go after Jokic and at the same time still try for other players if that doesn't pan out. It's not mutually exclusive. Just because they try to sign Jokic doesn't mean they didnt check with other players too.

Exactly! Well said.

[Mr B]

Luka doing some recruiting. I know some here think it’s a mistake for the Mavs to put all their resources into making a run at Jokic but the Mavs might actually have a legit shot at getting him to leave Denver. If they can create the room they should definitely make a run at him.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

To be fair, this possible team up can go either way with Luka going to Denver. But since Luka is signed on long term and Jokic is UFA in 2023, the chances of him landing in Dallas than Luka in Denver is more possible.

That being said, if Jokic is smart, he will at least consider the Dallas angle. Team with cap space to give him the max, team with Doncic, and a team with 3&D guys positioned well enough for his arrival. The situation is ideal, and if he wants a chance to cement their legacy with rings, that seems to be the way to go. The type of basketball both those guys play are ideal. Both can handle the ball and make plays. Both can play PG, both can screen, both can roll. That will be very very tough to guard. Near impossible.

Not to mention the fact that Denver has more than half their cap tied up in two injury prone players in MPJ and Murray. Those are the two best teammates Jokic is going to have over the next 5 years unless they can find a way to dump both players, which won’t be easy. They basically have 2 KP’s on their roster.

[Mr B]

Obviously this is all speculation as Cuban cant come out and say they'll go after Jokic, that's tampering. But I will say this, whenever you get a chance to put yourself in play for an all star, you have to take your shot. It's not about putting your eggs in one basket, as the Mavs will get an idea even before Jokic hits the market. His agent is Jeff Schwartz. Pretty sure he would text Cuban way before if Jokic intends to entertain meetings with other teams. These are not high school kids, they know what they are doing.

Also on the flip side, you cant be too negative about it too Bob. You cant not root for Jokic to Dallas and at the same time wear your "Luka needs better teammates" t-shirt. They're trying to get an all star, what else of a better teammate are you looking for? Look, it's not binary. You can go after Jokic and at the same time still try for other players if that doesn't pan out. It's not mutually exclusive. Just because they try to sign Jokic doesn't mean they didnt check with other players too.

Sure, I would like Jokic, but I'm realistic too. Chances are minimal. The far most likely scenario is Jokic not going anywhere and even if something strange happens, Denver implodes and Jokic has enough, it's still unlikely Jokic comes to Dallas, no matter how he likes to make jokes with Luka. I'm listening every year how FAs don't like to come in Dallas and now they will suddenly get MVP? Not very likely, even with Luka here.

There is a big difference between the American born/raised NBA athlete and a player from Europe with Jokic’s background.

I agree that it is an extremely long shot. More than likely it won’t happen however you have to at least try. The only way to guarantee you will never win the lotto is to never play. You have to at least give yourself a chance.

[arkuo]

Luka doing some recruiting. I know some here think it’s a mistake for the Mavs to put all their resources into making a run at Jokic but the Mavs might actually have a legit shot at getting him to leave Denver. If they can create the room they should definitely make a run at him.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

To be fair, this possible team up can go either way with Luka going to Denver. But since Luka is signed on long term and Jokic is UFA in 2023, the chances of him landing in Dallas than Luka in Denver is more possible.

That being said, if Jokic is smart, he will at least consider the Dallas angle. Team with cap space to give him the max, team with Doncic, and a team with 3&D guys positioned well enough for his arrival. The situation is ideal, and if he wants a chance to cement their legacy with rings, that seems to be the way to go. The type of basketball both those guys play are ideal. Both can handle the ball and make plays. Both can play PG, both can screen, both can roll. That will be very very tough to guard. Near impossible.

Not to mention the fact that Denver has more than half their cap tied up in two injury prone players in MPJ and Murray. Those are the two best teammates Jokic is going to have over the next 5 years unless they can find a way to dump both players, which won’t be easy. They basically have 2 KP’s on their roster.

The difference here is Luka seems to be taking an active role in recruiting (which is the right thing to do IMO) as opposed to Dirk leaving it all to Donnie. I guess that passiveness also contributed to Dallas not being free agent friendly before. When your star player is too quiet it comes off as he's not interested. But that is not the case today with Luka being more vocal and outgoing than Dirk. We'll see if his efforts pan out in 2023.

[arkuo]

Obviously this is all speculation as Cuban cant come out and say they'll go after Jokic, that's tampering. But I will say this, whenever you get a chance to put yourself in play for an all star, you have to take your shot. It's not about putting your eggs in one basket, as the Mavs will get an idea even before Jokic hits the market. His agent is Jeff Schwartz. Pretty sure he would text Cuban way before if Jokic intends to entertain meetings with other teams. These are not high school kids, they know what they are doing.

Also on the flip side, you cant be too negative about it too Bob. You cant not root for Jokic to Dallas and at the same time wear your "Luka needs better teammates" t-shirt. They're trying to get an all star, what else of a better teammate are you looking for? Look, it's not binary. You can go after Jokic and at the same time still try for other players if that doesn't pan out. It's not mutually exclusive. Just because they try to sign Jokic doesn't mean they didnt check with other players too.

Sure, I would like Jokic, but I'm realistic too. Chances are minimal. The far most likely scenario is Jokic not going anywhere and even if something strange happens, Denver implodes and Jokic has enough, it's still unlikely Jokic comes to Dallas, no matter how he likes to make jokes with Luka. I'm listening every year how FAs don't like to come in Dallas and now they will suddenly get MVP? Not very likely, even with Luka here.

There is a big difference between the American born/raised NBA athlete and a player from Europe with Jokic’s background.

I agree that it is an extremely long shot. More than likely it won’t happen however you have to at least try. The only way to guarantee you will never win the lotto is to never play. You have to at least give yourself a chance.

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

[Mr B]

Sure, I would like Jokic, but I'm realistic too. Chances are minimal. The far most likely scenario is Jokic not going anywhere and even if something strange happens, Denver implodes and Jokic has enough, it's still unlikely Jokic comes to Dallas, no matter how he likes to make jokes with Luka. I'm listening every year how FAs don't like to come in Dallas and now they will suddenly get MVP? Not very likely, even with Luka here.

There is a big difference between the American born/raised NBA athlete and a player from Europe with Jokic’s background.

I agree that it is an extremely long shot. More than likely it won’t happen however you have to at least try. The only way to guarantee you will never win the lotto is to never play. You have to at least give yourself a chance.

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

Yea Jokic doesn’t seem like a LA, Miami, or NY kind of guy. Not that he couldn’t succeed there but he might prefer a lower profile city than one of those markets. Jokic seems more introverted like Dirk was.

[arkuo]

There is a big difference between the American born/raised NBA athlete and a player from Europe with Jokic’s background.

I agree that it is an extremely long shot. More than likely it won’t happen however you have to at least try. The only way to guarantee you will never win the lotto is to never play. You have to at least give yourself a chance.

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

Yea Jokic doesn’t seem like a LA, Miami, or NY kind of guy. Not that he couldn’t succeed there but he might prefer a lower profile city than one of those markets. Jokic seems more introverted like Dirk was.

Which works even better for Dallas. An introverted guy would prefer a more outgoing co-star to take the heat off his back. Dallas has it all in place. An outgoing co-star in Luka and an owner willing to deliberately take NBA fines to take media attention off his stars in Cuban. LMAO.

But in all seriousness, I would say this to the people saying Jokic is a small town guy, who will likely stay in Denver because of his simple upbringing in Serbia yada yada. Tastes and preferences change over the years, my friends. Ever wondered why that Mcdonald's big mac doesn't taste as good once you had better things in life? Yeah, that max contract buys stuff and changes your perspective. Might go either way for Joker man. But his brothers are sure repping their Rolex watches now which is a far cry from your run of the mill regular Serbian kids right? Things change and a lot can happen between now and 2023. Mavs have put themselves in a position to be recipients of that change. Cant fault them for trying.

[Bob8]

Longer shot, Giannis had catastrophic PO failures before extending, Jokic was in the WCF despite injuries.

Mavs won't get MVP candidate to sign as FA ever. I hope they have better plan to make roster better.

Do you happen to have this weeks Texas lotto numbers too?

I believe it's more your kind of thing, believing in miracles.

[Bob8]

Sure, I would like Jokic, but I'm realistic too. Chances are minimal. The far most likely scenario is Jokic not going anywhere and even if something strange happens, Denver implodes and Jokic has enough, it's still unlikely Jokic comes to Dallas, no matter how he likes to make jokes with Luka. I'm listening every year how FAs don't like to come in Dallas and now they will suddenly get MVP? Not very likely, even with Luka here.

There is a big difference between the American born/raised NBA athlete and a player from Europe with Jokic’s background.

I agree that it is an extremely long shot. More than likely it won’t happen however you have to at least try. The only way to guarantee you will never win the lotto is to never play. You have to at least give yourself a chance.

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

Odds don't work like that. Even if Denver has only 50% for keeping Jokic, which looks very low % to me. Mavs would have 50% only if they were the only club interested for Jokic, which is absurd. This connection between Jokic and Luka is totally overblown, they talk, like all players coming from that region, buy that's more or less it. I'm not even sure that Luka or Jokic like to be second fiddle to someone.

[Bob8]

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

Yea Jokic doesn’t seem like a LA, Miami, or NY kind of guy. Not that he couldn’t succeed there but he might prefer a lower profile city than one of those markets. Jokic seems more introverted like Dirk was.

Which works even better for Dallas. An introverted guy would prefer a more outgoing co-star to take the heat off his back. Dallas has it all in place. An outgoing co-star in Luka and an owner willing to deliberately take NBA fines to take media attention off his stars in Cuban. LMAO.

But in all seriousness, I would say this to the people saying Jokic is a small town guy, who will likely stay in Denver because of his simple upbringing in Serbia yada yada. Tastes and preferences change over the years, my friends. Ever wondered why that Mcdonald's big mac doesn't taste as good once you had better things in life? Yeah, that max contract buys stuff and changes your perspective. Might go either way for Joker man. But his brothers are sure repping their Rolex watches now which is a far cry from your run of the mill regular Serbian kids right? Things change and a lot can happen between now and 2023. Mavs have put themselves in a position to be recipients of that change. Cant fault them for trying.

And why would Jokic&brothers prefer Dallas to Miami or LA?

[arkuo]

There is a big difference between the American born/raised NBA athlete and a player from Europe with Jokic’s background.

I agree that it is an extremely long shot. More than likely it won’t happen however you have to at least try. The only way to guarantee you will never win the lotto is to never play. You have to at least give yourself a chance.

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

Odds don't work like that. Even if Denver has only 50% for keeping Jokic, which looks very low % to me. Mavs would have 50% only if they were the only club interested for Jokic, which is absurd. This connection between Jokic and Luka is totally overblown, they talk, like all players coming from that region, that's more or less it.

I would disagree there. I think you fail to consider that his agent is also buddies with Mark Cuban. So if Denver fails to sign Jokic to an extension and this scenario goes to free agency, Im willing to bet that the Mavs will at least score an interview.

I don't think the relationship is overblown. It's just right where it is. They are buddies from the same age group. They hung out a lot during the NBA bubble and it started there. What's overblown is what Luka fans were harping about Luka and Goran Dragic being best of friends and how Luka would love Dragic to be in Dallas and if left unsigned would make Luka think of leaving in two years. That part is way overblown.

[arkuo]

Yea Jokic doesn’t seem like a LA, Miami, or NY kind of guy. Not that he couldn’t succeed there but he might prefer a lower profile city than one of those markets. Jokic seems more introverted like Dirk was.

Which works even better for Dallas. An introverted guy would prefer a more outgoing co-star to take the heat off his back. Dallas has it all in place. An outgoing co-star in Luka and an owner willing to deliberately take NBA fines to take media attention off his stars in Cuban. LMAO.

But in all seriousness, I would say this to the people saying Jokic is a small town guy, who will likely stay in Denver because of his simple upbringing in Serbia yada yada. Tastes and preferences change over the years, my friends. Ever wondered why that Mcdonald's big mac doesn't taste as good once you had better things in life? Yeah, that max contract buys stuff and changes your perspective. Might go either way for Joker man. But his brothers are sure repping their Rolex watches now which is a far cry from your run of the mill regular Serbian kids right? Things change and a lot can happen between now and 2023. Mavs have put themselves in a position to be recipients of that change. Cant fault them for trying.

And why would Jokic&brothers prefer Dallas to Miami or LA?

I could return that question to you and ask why Nikola and his brothers would prefer Miami and LA over Dallas?

Because no one knows at this point. And a huge part of this (which you are overlooking now) depends on how well Luka recruits from today until the summer of 2023. We're just speculating about things that have not happened yet. What Im saying is the Mavs have placed themselves in a position to sign someone in 2023 and 2024, be it for Jokic or the 97 other free agents who will be looking for employment in that same time frame. You cant fault them for trying.

But for conversation sake, let's dissect this a bit. Aside from the fact that Jimmy Butler and Lebron are on the wrong side of 30, Jokic joining Miami or LA would just be tying your anchor to a sinking ship. Apart from the fact that Jimmy Butler challenged Jokic to a fist fight in the tunnel, Miami also has signed Adebayo and LA has Antohny Davis, both teams have them signed on long term. Dallas has that center spot wide open as a hooker on a Friday night. Dallas is the safe bet, not guaranteed, but safe. Compared to Miami who has the other Morris twin and Lebron who is more worried about the Lakers needing to draft his son and Rich Paul transferring Klutch Sports clients to LA.

[Bob8]

Which works even better for Dallas. An introverted guy would prefer a more outgoing co-star to take the heat off his back. Dallas has it all in place. An outgoing co-star in Luka and an owner willing to deliberately take NBA fines to take media attention off his stars in Cuban. LMAO.

But in all seriousness, I would say this to the people saying Jokic is a small town guy, who will likely stay in Denver because of his simple upbringing in Serbia yada yada. Tastes and preferences change over the years, my friends. Ever wondered why that Mcdonald's big mac doesn't taste as good once you had better things in life? Yeah, that max contract buys stuff and changes your perspective. Might go either way for Joker man. But his brothers are sure repping their Rolex watches now which is a far cry from your run of the mill regular Serbian kids right? Things change and a lot can happen between now and 2023. Mavs have put themselves in a position to be recipients of that change. Cant fault them for trying.

And why would Jokic&brothers prefer Dallas to Miami or LA?

I could return that question to you and ask why Nikola and his brothers would prefer Miami and LA over Dallas?

Because no one knows at this point. And a huge part of this (which you are overlooking now) depends on how well Luka recruits from today until the summer of 2023. We're just speculating about things that have not happened yet. What Im saying is the Mavs have placed themselves in a position to sign someone in 2023 and 2024, be it for Jokic or the 97 other free agents who will be looking for employment in that same time frame. You cant fault them for trying.

I asked you that because you were talking about Rolex watches, changing perspective... You're telling me that Denver might be too small for them and Miami/LA too big?

[Bob8]

You know, I kinda disagree. It's not as a longshot as it seems. I'd put the odds the same. The Mavs have an equal shot at signing (or trading for) Jokic and Denver keeping Jokic. I'd actually place it in the same level as Philly landing Harden and we all know how that turned out. I'd even go out on a limb and say if it came down to a glitzy town like LA, Jokic would probably choose Dallas and Luka over Lebron and Hollywood.

Odds don't work like that. Even if Denver has only 50% for keeping Jokic, which looks very low % to me. Mavs would have 50% only if they were the only club interested for Jokic, which is absurd. This connection between Jokic and Luka is totally overblown, they talk, like all players coming from that region, that's more or less it.

I would disagree there. I think you fail to consider that his agent is also buddies with Mark Cuban. So if Denver fails to sign Jokic to an extension and this scenario goes to free agency, Im willing to bet that the Mavs will at least score an interview.

I don't think the relationship is overblown. It's just right where it is. They are buddies from the same age group. They hung out a lot during the NBA bubble and it started there. What's overblown is what Luka fans were harping about Luka and Goran Dragic being best of friends and how Luka would love Dragic to be in Dallas and if left unsigned would make Luka think of leaving in two years. That part is way overblown.

You said Mavs have even bigger chances to get Jokic than Denver retain him. That might be your opinion, but it's totally unrealistic.

About Dragic, Luka has for sure much more important relationships with Dragic. They were roommates almost 2 months playing Eurobasket for Slovenia and they train together sometimes in of season in Ljubljana.

[Mr B]

Which works even better for Dallas. An introverted guy would prefer a more outgoing co-star to take the heat off his back. Dallas has it all in place. An outgoing co-star in Luka and an owner willing to deliberately take NBA fines to take media attention off his stars in Cuban. LMAO.

But in all seriousness, I would say this to the people saying Jokic is a small town guy, who will likely stay in Denver because of his simple upbringing in Serbia yada yada. Tastes and preferences change over the years, my friends. Ever wondered why that Mcdonald's big mac doesn't taste as good once you had better things in life? Yeah, that max contract buys stuff and changes your perspective. Might go either way for Joker man. But his brothers are sure repping their Rolex watches now which is a far cry from your run of the mill regular Serbian kids right? Things change and a lot can happen between now and 2023. Mavs have put themselves in a position to be recipients of that change. Cant fault them for trying.

And why would Jokic&brothers prefer Dallas to Miami or LA?

I could return that question to you and ask why Nikola and his brothers would prefer Miami and LA over Dallas?

Because no one knows at this point. And a huge part of this (which you are overlooking now) depends on how well Luka recruits from today until the summer of 2023. We're just speculating about things that have not happened yet. What Im saying is the Mavs have placed themselves in a position to sign someone in 2023 and 2024, be it for Jokic or the 97 other free agents who will be looking for employment in that same time frame. You cant fault them for trying.

But for conversation sake, let's dissect this a bit. Aside from the fact that Jimmy Butler and Lebron are on the wrong side of 30, Jokic joining Miami or LA would just be tying your anchor to a sinking ship. Apart from the fact that Jimmy Butler challenged Jokic to a fist fight in the tunnel, Miami also has signed Adebayo and LA has Antohny Davis, both teams have them signed on long term. Dallas has that center spot wide open as a hooker on a Friday night. Dallas is the safe bet, not guaranteed, but safe. Compared to Miami who has the other Morris twin and Lebron who is more worried about the Lakers needing to draft his son and Rich Paul transferring Klutch Sports clients to LA.

Don’t forget that there is also no guarantee that Labron even stays in LA. He openly talked this weekend about a possible return to Cleveland and has floated out that he wants to play with his son. So if Bronny is drafted by a team like the Knicks I would fully expect Labron to them force a trade to NY.

[arkuo]

And why would Jokic&brothers prefer Dallas to Miami or LA?

I could return that question to you and ask why Nikola and his brothers would prefer Miami and LA over Dallas?

Because no one knows at this point. And a huge part of this (which you are overlooking now) depends on how well Luka recruits from today until the summer of 2023. We're just speculating about things that have not happened yet. What Im saying is the Mavs have placed themselves in a position to sign someone in 2023 and 2024, be it for Jokic or the 97 other free agents who will be looking for employment in that same time frame. You cant fault them for trying.

I asked you that because you were talking about Rolex watches, changing perspective... You're telling me that Denver might be too small for them and Miami/LA to big?

What I meant was people find happiness in certain places. If you think about it, Denver has signed on their core for the next 4 years. That team is locked. Murray is signed on for 3 years, Aaron Gordon for 4 years, and the American version of Kristaps Porzingis (Michael Porter Jr) is signed on for half a decade. Come to think of it, that is insane. And none of those players are in the same level as a Luka Doncic. Denver will get it's cap space by 2025 at the earliest, Dallas can get it by 2023. Dallas has more flexibility in 2023 and 2024. A crazy scenario would be Dallas signing Jokic in 2023, and Dame Lillard comes to his senses and takes a bit less and comes over in 2024. Granted that Lillard would be a little bit older then, but a Jokic-Doncic-Lillard big three trumps anything the league has to offer by then. Those things are not guaranteed but can happen in Dallas as much as any other team with cap space, Denver's hands are tied until 2025. All that flexibility was created when they sent KP away.

[Mr B]

Odds don't work like that. Even if Denver has only 50% for keeping Jokic, which looks very low % to me. Mavs would have 50% only if they were the only club interested for Jokic, which is absurd. This connection between Jokic and Luka is totally overblown, they talk, like all players coming from that region, that's more or less it.

I would disagree there. I think you fail to consider that his agent is also buddies with Mark Cuban. So if Denver fails to sign Jokic to an extension and this scenario goes to free agency, Im willing to bet that the Mavs will at least score an interview.

I don't think the relationship is overblown. It's just right where it is. They are buddies from the same age group. They hung out a lot during the NBA bubble and it started there. What's overblown is what Luka fans were harping about Luka and Goran Dragic being best of friends and how Luka would love Dragic to be in Dallas and if left unsigned would make Luka think of leaving in two years. That part is way overblown.

You said Mavs have even bigger chances to get Jokic than Denver retain him. That might be your opinion, but it's totally unrealistic.

About Dragic, Luka has for sure much more important relationships with Dragic. They were roommates almost 2 months playing Eurobasket for Slovenia and they train together sometimes in of season in Ljubljana.

Wasn’t Luka basically roommates with Jokic for about 2 months in the bubble?