Slovenian basketball phenom Luka Doncic, who just led Real Madrid to a EuroLeague title, has long been presumed to be one of, if not the sole contender for the no. 1 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic, however, has yet to declare for the draft, and even if he does, there’s no guarantee he’ll be the top pick or even a top-three pick, reports Jonathan Givoney of ESPN:
The growing consensus among NBA decision-makers in attendance at Stark Arena in Belgrade is that the teams drafting behind the Phoenix Suns at No. 1, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks are likely to pass on European prodigy in favor of American frontcourt players. The question remains whether a team will trade up into the top three to snag Doncic, or if he will fall to the No. 4 (Memphis) or even the No. 5 pick (Dallas) after being heavily scouted in the Euroleague playoffs against Panathinaikos and mostly struggling.
If the Suns pass on Doncic, they’ll likely do so in favor of center DeAndre Ayton, who already has a connection to Phoenix in that he played his one year of college ball for the University of Arizona.
Doncic, 19, lacks the physical tools that are possessed by many of the top American prospects, like Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Mohamed Bamba. Doncic has shown a truly special ability to read defenses and make the correct plays as a playmaker while also being a plus shooter. He’s agile, fluid and smart, and has played against tougher competition than any college prospect has. He’s also the sort of wing player that the modern NBA is all about, even if his defense is a question mark. Doncic falling out of the top three would be ludicrous, and a huge mistake.
