Former Kings GM Explains Reasons He Passed on Luka Dončić

Former Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac explains the reasons he passed on Luka Dončić back in the 2018 NBA draft.

Nov 24, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac sits court side before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings are entering a pivotal offseason where they, along with many teams around the NBA, are hoping for some lottery luck on May 10th. They are in desperate need of a young star to build the team around, as the three rookies from last year in Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell all impressed, but none look like a sure-fire All-Star early on in their careers.

There's no shortage of reasons that the Kings are in this situation, and coming off a disappointing 22-win season, but one move that continues to stand out, and likely always will, is the passing of Luka Dončić in the 2018 NBA draft.

Divac joined Byron Scott's podcast, Byron Scott's Fast Break, and one of the questions that came up was his decision to pass on Dončić. The Kings jumped in the lottery up to the second pick of the draft, and instead of drafting the perennial All-Star, Divac selected Marvin Bagley III in a move that will seemingly never be forgotten.

"Obviously, it looks like I made a mistake. Luka is an unbelievable talent, definitely, with Nikola (Jokic), one of the top players in the league."

Sacramento was primed to grab a franchise-altering player to pair with De'Aaron Fox, who had already shown flashes of the star that he's become. It was that play and the relationship with Fox that ultimately led to Divac going with the center in Bagley III over the point guard in Dončić.

The Fit with Fox

Jan 15, 2020; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic (77) dribbles against Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

“All of my assistants told me that he can play small forward, and I said no, no, Luka is a point guard. Luka is a coach on the floor. And I felt that if I get Luka, I would have to trade De’Aaron Fox, and I already got a relationship with Fox, and I see he’s a perfect fit for us, a small market team, and Luka is a big market player. I felt like it I get Luka, down the road, I may lose him."

Vlade Divac says he passed on drafting Luka Dončić because he already had a point guard, didn’t want to play him at small forward, and didn’t want a big-name player like Luka in a small market.

“All of my assistants told me that he can play small forward, and I said no, no, Luka… pic.twitter.com/XuQFzHG13f

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 27, 2026

Dallas isn't a huge market, but it's certainly a bigger market than Sacramento. And there is no comparison between the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers. Dončić never requested a trade away from Dallas, but there's no guarantee that he would have stuck it out in small-town Sacramento. But odds are high that he would have lasted longer than Bagley, who was traded in his fourth season in the league.

The Kings have no shortage of draft-day mistakes. Between Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the what-ifs go on and on to make up Sacramento's sad history. But unfortunately for Divac, passing on Luka will likely be his lasting legacy (even though the Kings were one of four teams that passed on him...).

Divac closed the topic with a short and simple "If I go back, probably I would draft him." Now, all we can do as Kings fans is hope that Scott Perry's next draft pick works out better and the Kings are finally able to get their star for years to come.