Luka Doncic might have turned out for the Sacramento Kings had it not been for a significant misstep they took during the 2018 NBA Draft. During that draft, the Kings had the second overall pick and passed over Doncic for Marvin Bagley III, a decision which was recently defended by Kings former General Manager Vlade Divac.ย
In an interview with Croatian Website, Index, Vlade Divac stated that he did not want to draft two point guards, as he asserted that selecting Luka Doncic alongside DeโAaron Fox was not feasible. However, many have argued that this reasoning falls flat, especially considering the fact that Doncic has been able to play alongside other ball handlers, having succeeded with players like Jalen Brunson and most recently Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
In that position, I had DeโAaron Fox, who I drafted a year earlier. At that moment, I thought Fox was a player who could become a franchise player in the future. Time will tell if I was wrong. As things stand now, it looks like I am, but I have faith in young Fox that he will have a better career…
Vlade Divac said
Vlade Divac says โtime will tellโ whether drafting Marvin Bagley over Luka Donฤiฤ was the wrong choice.
“I already had De’Aaron FoxโฆTime will tell if I was wrong. As things stand now, it seems I was, but I still have faith in Fox having a great career.”
(h/t @BASKETBALLonX /โฆ pic.twitter.com/9g8t2BDgmS
โ NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 21, 2024
Looking at how things have turned out, Bagley has struggled to maintain his position in the league. Whereas Doncic has emerged as a superstar, having made five First-Team All-NBA selections and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season.
Also, looking at the reason he failed to get selected by the Kings, Fox, his career has gone well, but not as impressive as Doncic. Doncic has consistently proven himself as an MVP candidate, while Fox has yet to advance past the opening round of the playoffs.ย
Luka Doncicโs encounter with former Kingsโ General Managerย
Last season saw the Dallas Mavericks secure a narrow 107-103 win against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center, in which Doncic played a crucial role in the victory. An unusual event occurred in the closing moments, when he grabbed a key defensive rebound and was fouled, which set him up for two free throws.
To the shock of fans in the arena, after he made one of his free throws, he pointed and talked towards former Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. This interaction brought the attention of fans back to the 2018 NBA Draft, where Divac had controversially passed on Doncic.
He should have drafted me.
Luka Doncic said
Luka Doncic as he puts away the Kings tonight in Sacramento with his final free throw, then as the final horn sounds, waves goodbye to former Kings GM Vlade Divac seated courtside and says “he shoulda’ drafted me.” pic.twitter.com/6j26cLprxA
โ Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 30, 2024
Divac, like he did in his recent interview, had defended his choice at the time, where he stated that Bagley was a better fit and player for Sacramento.
As for the Slovenian, he was selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young and a 2019 first-round pick.ย
