Ex-Kings GM Regrets Passing on Luka Doncic Draft in Fear of Losing De’Aaron Fox

In 2015, Real Madrid Baloncesto debuted a young star from Slovenia. At 16, was the youngest star on the team. The youngster eventually became a EuroLeague champ and MVP at 19. And within a very short time, he became a sensation in the world of basketball. Everyone wanted to have Luka Doncic on their team, especially the Sacramento Kings. They wanted another star alongside De’Aaron Fox back in 2018. But picking Doncic would’ve come with its own risks.

The Kings’ former GM, Vlade Divac, recently appeared on Byron Scott’s FastBreak. He shared that he tried approaching Luka a year before the 2018 draft, but dropped the idea. “I actually went to Madrid to talk to Luka a year before the draft. So he was definitely top on the list,” Divac shared. “But I felt like if I got Luka, I have to trade Fox. All my assistants told me that he can play a small forward. And I said, no.”

Why did the former executive give up on the idea of having someone like Doncic at Sacramento? “Luka is a point guard. Luka is a coach on the floor. And I’d already got a relationship with the Fox, and I see he can do it. Small market team, it’s a perfect fit for him. Luka is a big market player,” the 58-year-old shared.

Vlade’s relationship with Real Madrid goes back to 2006, when he joined Ramon Calderon’s campaign for Real Madrid president. As Calderon became the club president, Divac took the role of head of operations. Although he left in 2007, Vlade Divac’s connection with the team, even after 7 years, helped him reach out to Luka Doncic.

He could’ve bagged the then-19-year-old. But, despite clear interest in the Slovenian star, he decided to go the other way. “I felt like if I get Luka, down the road, I may lose him. It’s a very tough decision. If I go back, probably I would draft him. But now he’s having a great career,” Vlade further added.

Unlike the Dallas Mavericks with an estimated 2.963M TV market, the Sacramento Kings are a small market franchise with around 1.459M TV market. So, Divac’s logic was simple: a player like Luka Doncic was meant for a large market team like Dallas and now, the Los Angeles Lakers. Moreover, had he drafted for the star, the Kings would have had to let go of De’Aaron Fox. And at that time, that would’ve been a risky gamble.

Why would Luka Doncic not fit into the Kings’ system?

Contractually, Luka Doncic never posed a problem in 2018. Sacramento could easily afford both guards. De’Aaron Fox was entering year 2 of his 4-year, $24.57 million rookie deal with salaries of $4.61 million, $5.47 million, $6.39 million, and $8.10 million. Meanwhile, Luka arrived as the No. 3 pick with a 4-year, $32.4M contract that rose from $5.7 M to $10.1 M. Together, they would have occupied roughly $10 million to $12 million against a $101 million cap. No financial rule demanded a Fox trade.

However, Vlade Divac noticed a different puzzle. He already trusted Fox and saw him as Sacramento’s long-term solution. With team control and limited free agency, Fox appeared to be on track for an annual extension worth well over $100 million. Luka, on the other hand, expected a 25% maximum contract and eventually a salary of $30 million or more per season.

However, Divac was concerned about signing two ball-dominant players to multimillion-dollar contracts. In addition, the Kings’ former general manager was clearly concerned about the market size. Divac was concerned that after investing more than $150 million in Doncic, Sacramento would eventually lose him. Furthermore, trading Fox meant giving up an asset worth one to two unprotected first-round picks or a valuable prospect package. As a result, Marvin Bagley appeared to be a better match for Fox.

So, despite his regret about not having Luka Doncic, Vlade Divac believes the 27-year-old belongs in the big market. Even today, the former executive feels the same way. He would not have risked losing De’Aaron Fox and other assets to acquire a star who would eventually demand a trade.

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