This story begins in June 2018, when the NBA Draft went this fashion:
1. Phoenix: Deandre Ayton2. Sacramento: Marvin Bagley III3. Atlanta: Luka Doncic4. Memphis: Jaren Jackson Jr.5. Dallas: Trae Younger
Whereas Atlanta buying and selling Doncic for Younger will perpetually hyperlink that duo, in Sacramento this draft is remembered as a swing and a miss that set the franchise again years. How did then Kings’ GM Vlade Divac — a man who is aware of the worldwide sport — miss on Luka Doncic? (Or, actually, any of the following three gamers taken would have been the higher name).
That brings us to Friday night time, when Dallas completes a two-game sweep of Sacramento that just about actually sends the Kings to the play-in. Luka Doncic sealed the sport with a few free throws with 4.1 seconds left, then he waved to Divac and will be seen saying, “he ought to have drafted me.”
Luka Doncic as he places away the Kings tonight in Sacramento along with his closing free throw, then as the ultimate 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
That is chilly.
There’s been a longstanding rumor that Divac did not wish to draft Doncic due to a beef with Doncic’s father. Divac has strenuously denied that.
The extra seemingly cause is Divac broke one of many cardinal guidelines of drafting for the NBA: Take one of the best participant, no matter place (how a lot of a job possession performed in that call is up for debate). One yr earlier, Divac and Sacramento had drafted a future All-Star/All-NBA level guard in De’Aaron Fox, so reasonably than drafting one other ball handler like Doncic or Younger, Divac drafted for place and went with Bagley as an enormous to pair with Fox. Bagley by no means developed in Sacramento, and that choose set the franchise again till it had to surrender a high-quality participant (Tyrese Haliburton) to land an enormous that match with Fox in Domantas Sabonis.
Regardless of the cause, like all greats Doncic is popping a perceived slight into gasoline and the Kings paid the value.
