The Dallas Mavericks made a splash on draft night, trading with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire 19-year-old Slovenian phenom Luka Doncic.
Doncic was officially drafted by the Hawks, under the condition that the Mavericks would draft Oklahoma guard Trae Young with the No. 5 pick and deal Young, along with a protected future first-round pick, to Atlanta for Doncic.
Doncic, a 6-foot-6 point guard, is possibly the most intriguing prospect in the 2018 draft class. He dominated the EuroLeague, the world’s second-strongest basketball league, becoming its MVP in 2018.
The Mavs clearly believe, as many do, that Doncic is a generational talent. A deep draft of big men saw five of the top seven picks used on centers and power forwards. The center position has been a white whale of the Mavs franchise for years.
Both Mo Bamba – who recorded the longest wingspan in the history of the NBA combine – and Wendell Carter, Jr. were on the board when the Mavs picked at No. 5.
In the days leading up to Thursday's NBA Draft, reports surfaced that the Mavs' had their sights set on Doncic. Atlanta emerged as the trade partner in the hours before the draft began in Brooklyn. The deal was first rumored to involve Mavs shooting guard Wes Matthews and Atlanta guard Kent Bazemore.
There were no players involved in the final trade, confirmed by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before he announced the 7th pick of the night.
The scouting report on Doncic, via the Associated Press:
Though not the most physically gifted member of this year's draft class, Doncic has no peers among the top prospects in terms of experience and on-court accomplishments, one reason why the Slovenia native is a legitimate candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick. A basketball prodigy who has played professionally since age 16, he helped his homeland to a surprise gold medal at 2017 EuroBasket as an 18-year-old, then became the youngest MVP in EuroLeague history after leading Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid to the 2018 title and collecting Final Four MVP honors as well. Doncic's uncommon maturity and advanced instincts for a teenager are what separate him from most from his counterparts. He's also the best passer of this year's draft crop, possessing exceptional court vision and solid ball-handling skills to possibly earn his keep as an oversized point guard a la Ben Simmons. Doncic is less refined as a 3-point shooter right now, though his sound mechanics and career 80.1 percent success rate from the foul line bode well for his chances of adding a consistent perimeter threat to his game. One area Doncic may never excel in is on the defensive end, though his awareness and effort level help compensate for a lack of elite movement skills. That ordinary athleticism may ultimately prevent him from reaching true superstar status, but his pedigree and proven playmaking abilities make him as safe a bet as there is to be an instant contributor and eventual difference-maker.
Doncic marks Dallas’ highest draft pick since 1994, when the Mavs took Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd No. 4 overall. He’s the seventh European player they’ve taken since landing Dirk Nowitzki in a draft-night trade in 1998.
The Mavericks do not have a particularly impressive draft history. In the 20 years since they acquired Dirk, Nowitzki and Josh Howard are the only Mavs selections to start 70 or more games in any single season in their time with Dallas.
The organization can hope last year’s top pick, Dennis Smith Jr., who was taken No. 9 overall, marks a trend in the right direction. He started all 69 games he played in 2017-18, tallying 15 points, 5 assists and nearly 4 rebounds per contest in a second-team All-Rookie campaign.