The Dallas Mavericks are targeting Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Woj says the Mavs have their targets set on Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/P1sSCRyg6q
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) June 18, 2018
“Dallas at five, they’re asking themselves: ‘Can we stay at five and get Luka Doncic, or do we have to move up to get the player?’ Because that is the guy they have targeted.”
Doncic shouldn’t be there at five, but he could be. Def Pen’s latest mock draft has him going to the Sacramento Kings second overall, but recent reports indicate the Kings are infatuated with Duke product Marvin Bagley III and not sold on Doncic.
From the way Wojnarowski spoke, it sounds as though the Mavs want Doncic so badly they’d be willing to trade up.
One potential trade they could make is with the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the fourth overall pick. Deandre Ayton is almost certainly going to the Phoenix Suns first overall, and it sounds like Sacramento wants Bagley at No. 2. The Atlanta Hawks would still have the option of taking Doncic third overall, but they’re reportedly very high on Jaren Jackson Jr.
Perhaps the Mavs could instead work out a deal with Atlanta, but it’s hard to see what the Hawks would want on Dallas’ roster that the Mavs would be willing to give up to move up two spots.
