NBA News: Former Kings GM reveals the reason for not picking Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft

In the 2018 NBA Draft, many expected the Sacramento Kings to select Luka Doncic with the second overall pick, especially after the Phoenix Suns took DeAndre Ayton first overall. However, the Kings went a different route, choosing Marvin Bagley III, which allowed Doncic to fall to the Atlanta Hawks, who then traded him to the Dallas Mavericks.

Looking back, the Kings’ decision to pass on Doncic has been widely criticized, but former GM Vlade Divac recently shared the reasoning behind the choice and still believes time will be the ultimate judge of whether the call was a mistake.

“I had De’Aaron Fox at that [point guard] position, whom I drafted a year earlier,” Divac explained via Basketball on X. “At that moment, I thought that Fox was a player who could become a franchise player in the next period. Time will tell if I was wrong. As things stand now, it looks like I am, but I have faith in little Fox that he will have a better career.”

Despite Fox’s growth and development into one of the league’s elite point guards, many around the NBA view passing on Luka Doncic as a monumental error, similar to how the Portland Trail Blazers skipped over Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft. As for Bagley, who the Kings selected over Doncic, he spent three and a half seasons with Sacramento before being traded to the Detroit Pistons.

Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after making a shot against the Detroit Pistons. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Mavs legend offers encouragement to Luka Doncic

After a tough Finals loss, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki appeared on the DLLS Mavs Podcast to give words of encouragement to Doncic and remind him of the bright future ahead.

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“Well, just keep doing what you’re doing. Play your game,” Nowitzki said. “I know it wasn’t the ending you were hoping for, but you’re just getting started—you’re only 25. Sometimes a little disappointment can push you to come back stronger, motivate you to work harder, and become an even better player, if that’s even possible.”

Nowitzki continued, praising Doncic’s consistency and potential: “Honestly, he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. He’s an incredible player, playing at the highest level, and he’s MVP caliber every year. Staying healthy and taking care of your body is key—it’s going to be another long season,” Nowitzki concluded.