Former Kings GM Vlade Divac reveals the complex reasons behind passing on Luka Doncic, while admitting it looks like a mistake now.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Dončić has become one of the most popular names in the sport.
Back in 2018, the Sacramento Kings held the No. 2 overall pick, choosing Duke big man Marvin Bagley III over Dončić - a move that former General Manager Vlade Divac recently admitted "looks like a mistake."
Divac, who served as the Kings' vice president of basketball operations and GM from 2015-2020, joined Byron Scott's Fast Break on Monday, saying that he and Sacramento had Luka "at the top" of their draft boards a year prior to him being drafted.
"All of my assistants told me that he can play small forward, and I said no, no, Luka is a point guard. Luka is a coach on the floor," Divac said. "And I felt that if I get Luka, I would have to trade De’Aaron Fox, and I already got a relationship with Fox, and I see he’s a perfect fit for us, a small market team, and Luka was a big market player. If I get Luka, the down the road, I may lose him."
Divac called Dončić one of the two best players in the league, but acknowledged it would've been difficult to keep him in Sacramento.
Of course, Dončić ended up in the biggest market in the NBA, but prior to being traded from the Dallas Mavericks, he had expressed his intent in wanting to stay with one franchise for his whole career.
"Its a really tough decision. If I could go back, I would probably draft him, but now he's having a great career," Divac added.
Had Sacramento pulled the trigger on Dončić, he likely would have felt the same about staying with the Kings, but Divac's relationship with Fox also played a factor.
Divac expressed his reluctance to move Fox, who of course, was eventually moved after Divac stepped down in 2020.
Fox, who was picked No. 5 overall just one season earlier, averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game in 73 appearances during his rookie campaign.
Moving a player who showed this type of promise in his rookie season would have been tough to justify, especially for a player like Dončić, who despite his success, came into the league with questions about his ability to succeed in the NBA.
Looking back, missing out on Dončić definitely stings, but Divac's transparency provides a bit of clarity.
The Kings will likely have another big decision to make in the upcoming NBA Draft, as they secured a 48.1-percent chance of ending up within the bottom-four, with a 12.5-percent chance at the No. 1 pick.
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