The Sacramento Kings made the biggest NBA Draft blunder of a generation when the team decided to pass on Luka Doncic with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018. The Kings had just hired Igor Kokoškov as their new head coach months after he led Slovenia to a championship in Eurobasket powered by Doncic. For some reason, Sacramento still drafted Duke big man Marvin Bagley III over Luka. It’s a decision that looks worse and worse every year.
The Dallas Mavericks used the Kings’ mistake as their golden opportunity to trade up for the star guard. Doncic was almost immediately became one of the best players in the NBA for Dallas, and he now feels like he’s reaching the peak of his powers at age-25. The Kings did well to rebound from their historic draft miss and build a competitive team, and now Dallas and Sacramento are vying for playoff seeding and the right to stay out of the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
On Friday night, Doncic delivered the Mavericks a critical win over the Kings, and reminded them of their draft day gaffe on the way out. As Luka sunk free throws to cement the win, he looked at former Kings GM Vlade Divac sitting courtside, waved goodbye, and said the Kings should have drafted him instead. Watch the video here:
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
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 30, 2024
All of the greats know how to hold a grudge, and Doncic has certainly become that. It feels like he takes special joy in destroying the Kings. Really, the Phoenix Suns — who chose Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 pick ahead of Luka in 2018 — are lucky they don’t get nearly as much blowback as Sacramento does. Both franchises totally blew it.
Doncic finished with 26 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds in the win. That’s basically an average game for Luka. The win puts the Mavs into the No. 6 seed in the West, which is the final seed protected from the play-in tournament. The Kings fall to No. 8 with the loss.
This race is going to come down the wire, but Dallas to feel great know it has Doncic on its side.
