The battle for the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is in full swing. Do the Phoenix Suns address their need in the frontcourt and take Arizona star Deandre Ayton, or do they get an offensive playmaker to suit up next to Devin Booker and Josh Jackson in European star Luka Doncic?
You can make a really good case for either player, even if there are concerns about Ayton’s ability on the defensive end or whether Doncic will come over right away. If Doncic is the pick, it’s safe to assume that Ayton would be off the board almost immediately after.
However, if Ayton goes to Phoenix, Doncic could be in line for a tumble. Real Madrid won the Euroleague behind yet another stellar performance from Doncic, and after the game, the Slovenian wunderkind said that he’s going to take some time and mull over whether he’s coming to the United States next year.
But as Jonathan Givony of ESPN shared, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks may decide they have more pressing needs than the young playmaker, which would cause Doncic to fall.
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.
Players like Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mo Bamba stand to benefit the most if Sacramento and Atlanta decide to bolster their frontcourts. We’re still a month away from the draft, so anything could end up happening, but fans of the Grizzlies and Mavericks who wanted Doncic have to be overjoyed right now.
(Via ESPN)
