Published 10:01 IST, November 25th 2019
Luka Doncic wasn't drafted to Sacramento Kings by Vlade Divac due to personal reasons?
Luka Doncic could have been plying his trade with the Kings if not for their GM Vlade Divac, who picked up Marvin Bagley over Doncic for personal reasons
- SportFit
- 3 min read
The Sacramento Kings had the second pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but instead of grabbing Luka Doncic, the Kings elected to move forward with Marvin Bagley. And now it is believed that Kings' general manager Vlade Divac didn’t draft Luka Doncic because he had an apparent problem with Doncic's father.
Luka Doncic to the Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks' GM Mark Cuban and the team's front office were widely applauded for making the draft-day trade to acquire Luka Doncic, who had a lot of hype coming into the draft as he was just named the Euro League MVP at just 19-years-old. It came as a surprise to many when Vlade Divac —who is well connected with Euro League hoopers — decided to take the Duke freshman over Doncic. And according to NBA insider Tim McMahon, Vlade had some unresolved issues with Luka Doncic's dad.
Vlade Divac and Luka Doncic's dad
Doncic's dad, Sasha Doncic, is a professional basketball coach and former Euro League player. Along with playing for teams in Slovenia and France, Sasha Doncic also played for clubs in Divac's native Serbia. That makes it possible that the two crossed paths during their time on the Euro League circuit and Doncic might have not had a good impression on Vlade Divac.
Vlade Divac's decision from a basketball standpoint
However, it does make sense as to why the Sacramento Kings elected to move forward with Marvin Bagley as the year prior the team selected De'Aaron Fox, who is now the Kings' primary ball-handler, the same role as Luka Doncic.
Luka Doncic: Starring for the Dallas Mavericks
But, Doncic has been sensational since arriving in the NBA, blossoming into a superstar with the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic won the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and has been tearing apart the league this season. The Slovenian guard is averaging 30.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.8 assists while shooting 49.5 per cent from the field.
Updated 13:48 IST, November 25th 2019