NBA SIMS LEAGUE
Nikola Jokic is finally looking like a superstar in the NBA this year. But that is not necessarily the case in 2K. I had Hassan Whiteside before in the past and he was able to put similar production and carry a team harder than Jokic is right now. Even though he is 94 rated player, you still have players as low as 86 rating who are better. I believe next year will be the year that he finally hits superstar status in the NSL. This will be the year that we finally see him hitting those magic passes and the buzzer beating turn around faders. The Houston Rockets still don't have a star to pair with Jokic yet.
Now I don't want to make the same mistake that the New Orleans Pelicans made in 2017 when they traded Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and a 2017 1st for Demarcus Cousins only to see Cousins at age 27 hit the end of his shelf life and losing Anthony Davis to trade demands. Instead, I'd like to have a star who still has a ton of shelf life remaining. Someone who is going to play with Jokic for the next 4+ years before father time finally starts to hit.
So I'll go over some young stars that I think would look really good with Nikola Jokic.
Small Forwards
- Jayson Tatum - 22 years old
- Brandon Ingram - 23 years old
As we seen with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, wings who play 30+ minutes, who score 20+ PTS, and also play aggressive defense don't really break down until about age 28. I believe that is about the age that we'll see Tatum start to break down. Ingram doesn't play as much defense as Tatum does. So he's not really putting his body on the line as much as Tatum is. He can extend his shelf life to about age 29 or 30. I could get 6-7 good years out both of these guys.
Shooting Guards
- Luka Doncic - 21 years old
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 22 years old
- Devin Booker - 24 years old
- Donovan Mitchell - 24 years old
Guards who play 30+ minutes, who can score 20+ PTS, and play aggressive defense can play up to about age 28 or 29 before we start to see signs of wear and tear as we have seen with Mike Conley, Victor Oladipo, and Klay Thompson. That could be the case with Mitchell and SGA. Luka and Booker don't really play much defense. So they aren't really putting their bodies on the line. I think these 2 guys can actually play up to age 33 without any problems. I could get 12 good years out of Luka, 9 good years out of Booker, 6-7 good years out of SGA, and 4-5 good years out of Mitchell.
Point Guards
- Ja Morant - 21 years old
- Trae Young - 22 years old
- DeAaron Fox - 23 years old
- Jamal Murray - 24 years old
Murray kind of plays defense. So I think he can play up to about age 29 or 30 before the injuries start. Trae who plays absolutely no defense at all can last up to about age 33 like Luka and Booker. Fox and Morant, however, are different kind of beasts because a lot of their game depends on athleticism. These type of guys break down a little earlier. Probably around age 27 as we've seen with John Wall. So 12 good years out of Trae, 6 good years out of Ja, 5-6 good years out of Murray, and 4 good years out of Fox.
How Much Would These Guys Cost?
Now it's almost impossible to get these guys because they've already hit at such a young age. GMs know they are no where close to their shelf life and have plenty of years left in the tank. But history has shown that when these guys do become available, the cost of obtaining one of these young bucks is an 80+ rated player and 3 future 1st rounders. So if any of these guys become available, we have to be ready to make the move. But until then, the Rockets will have to turn to the draft to find the next young star to pair with Jokic. Maybe Cade Cunningham (19) or Jalen Suggs (19). Maybe Emoni Bates (17). Maybe even Zaire Wade (19) and Bronny James (16).