Former Sporting Director Reveals: They Came Very Close to Transferring Jokic to Barcelona

Barcelona's former sporting director Joan Creus said in an interview with the Spanish outlet Gigantes del Basket that the club came very close to transferring Nikola Jokic.

According to Creus, Jokic's agent Misko Raznatovic initially recommended Dario Saric, who played for Cibona. However, when Creus went to a game between Mega and Cibona, he said his attention was drawn to Jokic. Jokic was 17 or 18 years old at the time, and Creus saw him as a player in the mold of Marc Gasol.

Creus said that during later scouting trips he brought club executives with him, and that the aim was to sign a contract. Raznatovic also brought an offer so that negotiations could begin. However, when Jokic's performance in one of the games they watched fell below expectations, the club decided to postpone the transfer by two to three months.

According to Creus, Jokic played exceptionally well during this period, NBA scouts began to take notice, and various teams started to pursue him. Creus said the opportunity was lost at that point and that the transfer was no longer possible.