By George Efkarpidis/ info@eurohoops.net
The “wunderkind” from Slovenia already has many scouts raving about his unique skillset and when Micheal Porter Jr. went down with injury, he automatically became the no1 prospect, even if center Deandre Ayton is also a candidate for the top pick.
However, while Ayton has his ups and downs and his body seems to be his main asset at this point, Doncic’s amazing season with Real Madrid is one more proof that he is ready to make the jump in the NBA.
Even though he has played shooting guard and even “point forward” in Europe, he should be considered a point guard as his game translates into a floor general more than it does to a shooter. Also, guarding shooting guards in the NBA might not be the ideal fit for him.
And while he will not decide who will pick him in the draft, Eurohoops present the Top5 potential landing spots according to probability and ideal conditions.
No1 Chicago Bulls
The historic franchise has yet to see a championship since the departure of Michael Jordan. Even though Derrick Rose seemed to be “the chosen one” when he became the youngest MVP in the history of the league, injuries never really allowed to him to maximize his potential.
After trading Jimmy Butler in the offseason, the Bulls entered re-building mode and Finnish rookie Lauri Markkanen has had Bulls fans raving about his talent.
The trust shown in Markkanen could be a deciding factor in Luca Doncic’s case. If the Bulls would draft the Slovenian Eurobasket champion, he would most likely be the face of the franchise and a fan favorite due to his dazzling plays and high basketball IQ.
Furthermore, even though the Bulls have plenty of players at point guard, neither Jerian Grant nor Kris Dunn possesses the offensive arsenal that Doncic does. This would be an ideal situation for both the player and the franchise, but the Bulls should probably use a trade in order to get near the top of the picking order and get him.
Even though Memphis is a small market team, and seems to face administrative issues at the moment, the Grizzlies have proven to be a class-act organization.
Plus the organization have had a great experience with the Gasol brothers so trusting a player coming from overseas won’t be an issue.
In terms of playing time, if the Grizzlies decide to trade Marc Gasol and accept to enter a rebuilding phase, Luca Doncic will have a guard spot on lock. He could gain a whole lot of experience playing alongside one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA, Mike Conley.
The Grizzlies are a team built on grind and hustle but have lacked in talent – besides the Gasol brothers – for many years. They have never seen something like Luka Doncic before.
No3 Dallas
Having one of the greatest players of all time – and arguably the best ever international player of the NBA – on your roster could be a great bargaining chip for the Dallas Mavericks.
Rick Carlisle has already trusted and is looking to develop another European prospect in Maxi Kleber and Luca Doncic would fit right in.
Yes, the Mavs have Dennis Smith Jr. who looks like an NBA-ready player already but their lack of depth and talent at the guard position makes Dallas another ideal landing sport for Doncic.
A starting guard-combo of Dennis Smith Jr. and Luca Doncic? Sounds good to us.
No 4 Cleveland Cavaliers
Although there are plenty of “ifs” surrounding next year’s Cleveland Cavaliers why would they not take Luca Doncic if they end up keeping the Brooklyn pick?
With or without LeBron, if Cleveland is able to get a lottery pick there is no reason they shouldn’t take Luca Doncic. Besides George Hill, there’s no other point guard locked beyond this summer in their roster and the addition of Cedi Osman, who was always considered a top European prospect, but not a talent of the same caliber with Doncic, is already a roaring success.
If the Cavs manage to maintain LeBron for another championship run, the rookie will automatically fit perfectly into the system
A great shooter, good on and off the ball, a playmaker and a high-level basketball IQ. Who knows? Maybe if the Cavs manage to get Doncic, LeBron would stay.
No5. San Antonio Spurs
Ok. We understand that this is highly unlikely unless the Spurs manage to trade for a top pick but who wouldn’t want to see Doncic under coach Gregg Popovich?
Possibly the most ideal scenario for this revolutionary talent is to fall into the hands of one of the most respected organizations in all of the sports.
Gregg Popovich turned Tony Parker into a Hall of Famer and there is no reason to believe he wouldn’t do the same with Doncic.
The organization has had the most international top players on their squad and the decline of Tony Parker, as well as the sub-par play of Dejounte Murray, wouldn’t impact Doncic’s minutes by no means.
With LaMarcus Aldridge in decline and one of the oldest rosters in the NBA, if the Spurs could manage to get the number one pick, there is no basketball fan in the world who would say that this is a bad idea.
While there are a lot of “ifs” in each equation and arguably every team would want Doncic on their roster, the above teams would most likely maximize his potential and build around him for years to come.