NBA Rumors: Why Real Madrid's Luka Doncic Could Slide Down the Board on Draft Night
Recent rumors are hinting that teams near the top of the lottery could pass on Doncic even if he's still available
Real Madrid's Luka Doncic is a unique type of elite NBA prospect.
For starters, he did not spend the past few months playing for a college team in the U.S. and instead, he's been playing his trade as a professional in the EuroLeague.
Doncic is also not just a role player on a European team. He's been the driving force for Real Madrid this year, and he's helped the team take home the EuroLeague title while Doncic himself has been named as the EuroLeague Final Four MVP.
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Draft prospects typically aren't as accomplished as Doncic already is and that should work to make him an even more exciting addition for any team — or at least that's what the expectation would be. However, the reality is that some of the teams who could be in a position to select Doncic may pass on the opportunity.
In a recent article, ESPN's Jonathan Givony shared that some decision-makers around the NBA believe that certain teams picking early in the upcoming draft may not take Doncic even if he's still on the board.
To be more specific, the teams holding the second and third overall picks, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks, respectively, may reportedly pass on selecting Doncic.
Given that Doncic is widely considered to be one of the best prospects in this year's class, the idea that he may fall out of the top three seems difficult to believe.
In some ways though, it's also quite understandable.
Beyond just Doncic not being the typical draft prospect, there are other reasons why certain teams may pass on drafting him.
For instance, as Givony mentioned in the article, the Kings and Hawks may be looking for frontcourt players, so the play-making Doncic may not be the type of player those franchises want.
Doncic's athleticism is also perceived to be a notch below the elite athletes in the draft. Considering how important it is now for players to be able to positively contribute on both ends of the floor, there may be teams who are concerned about the possibility that Doncic will struggle to keep elite perimeter players in front of him.
It's not like teams will be able to gauge Doncic's athleticism ahead of the draft night as well.
Doncic's agent, Bill Duffy, previously told the Sporting News that the 19-year-old will not work out for teams because he still wants to fulfill his commitments to Real Madrid. This means that teams will just have to go by what they see on the court.
There's also a lingering question about whether or not Doncic will even decide to play in the NBA next season should he be drafted, and there are some teams that are understandably wary of the possibility that he may remain overseas.
Teams want to know exactly what type of player they are getting ahead of drafting him, and perhaps the amount of uncertainty surrounding Doncic is hurting him right now, and it could continue to hurt him on draft night as well.
More news about the latest 2018 NBA draft rumors should be made available soon.
