Malone's 2016 Jokic vow resurfaces: would not trade him for anybody

Jokic posted 22-11-10 in 133-128 preseason finale

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 59m1 min read

What happened: The 2016 remark praised a young Nikola Jokic over other young bigs in New York, Minnesota and Philadelphia. Malone said he knew Jokic's name and would not trade him for anybody in the world.

Why it matters: The line endured as an early marker of Denver's commitment to Jokic as a franchise center. That commitment frames current focus on the upcoming 2026-27 season in Denver.

By the numbers: Nikola Jokic: 22 PTS, 11 REB, 10 AST.

What to watch: Denver opens the upcoming 2026-27 season with Jokic still central to its plans.

Sources

cbssports.com 2026-10-12T14:51:50.922515+00:00

Box score

CONVERSATION

Loading comments…

NBAAnalysisDenver NuggetsNikola Jokic

Follow NBA Intelligence

Real-time signals and analysis

@WireReportNBA

WR Pro

The day's sports, briefed to your inbox at 7am ET. Every claim sourced.

$9/month Free weekly newsletter →