Karnisovas was an attractive choice for Chicago in large part because of his work in helping build Denver into a Western Conference contender. A key part of the Nuggets' rise was the discovery of All-Star big man Nikola Jokic, a Serbian native and second-round pick by Denver in 2014.
Jokic was on display as a prospect in 2014, including at the Nike Hoops Summit, but many teams in the NBA didn't believe he had the athleticism to make it in the league. Karnisovas viewed Jokic in a different manner, recognizing and prioritizing the skills that were being showcased. Karnisovas then compared it to film of a teenaged Marc Gasol.
While Jokic didn't appear to be a star as a prospect, Karnisovas could see the potential for his growth. The Nuggets struck gold with Jokic because of their shrewd scouting.
"Joker took it to the next level because he also brings the ball up. He takes the rebound, he brings the ball up, he initiates our offense. How many teams in the league have their center bring the ball up with two minutes to go?"
Jokic averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds as a rookie in the 2015-'16 season. From there, he developed as Karnisovas had hoped and emerged into not just one of the NBA's top centers but also one of the top playmakers with his smarts, superb passing ability and more.
Jokic was averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists over 65 games before the NBA suspended its season in March. He played in his second All-Star Game in February.
"It worked out for us," Karnisovas said. "It was a little risk. Of course the credit goes to Joker and the level of player he's become."