In another universe, Luka Doncic could be an Atlanta Hawks player.
The franchise had that opportunity but decided to trade him to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young in a deal that continues generating debate.
Young isn’t a bad player. He’s All-Star caliber and led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals once. However, Luka Doncic operates at a different level as a player capable of elevating teams into championship contention.
The Slovenian star led Dallas to the NBA Finals and consistently appears in MVP conversations, highlighting what Atlanta gave up in that trade.
Former Hawks player Jeff Teague recalled one specific moment that epitomized the franchise’s regret over the Doncic trade.
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty ImagesTeague became emotional watching Doncic’s masterpiece
That moment came when Doncic scored 73 points against Atlanta in a performance that left even former players speechless.
He shot 75.8% from the field and 61.5% from three-point range while adding 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Teague admitted he became emotional watching the historic performance, knowing his former team could have had that talent on their roster.
“If you go back and watch Luka against Atlanta, Oh my God, you got to hear the commentator. I was watching that game. Like the commentators was going crazy,” Teague explained.
The performance was so dominant that it moved Teague to tears while watching as a spectator rather than competitor.
“Luka was crazy, though. He was so crazy. I was crying when I was watching it.
“Because everybody was like, ‘We could have had him.’ They was making that thing,” he added.
The game served as a painful reminder of what the Hawks traded away and what they could have built around instead of Young.
Defense remains Doncic’s biggest weakness
Despite his offensive brilliance, Teague believes Doncic could become the NBA’s best player by addressing one specific area: defense.
The former guard identified defensive improvement as the missing piece to Doncic’s championship puzzle.
Doncic faced criticism for his defensive effort during last season’s playoff run, with opponents targeting him consistently on that end of the court.
“He used to start guard for real, he’d be the best player in the NBA. Most likely he going to play, but it’s just like if you only getting 30 but you giving up 35, they ain’t winning,” Teague noted.
The assessment highlights how defensive deficiencies can limit even elite offensive players from reaching championship levels.
However, Teague sees potential for improvement this season. Doncic appears in better physical condition than last season, suggesting readiness to address his defensive shortcomings.
Next season could provide the opportunity for Doncic to silence doubters by displaying improved two-way performance. His conditioning improvements suggest commitment to becoming more complete on both ends of the court.
If Doncic can combine his offensive mastery with solid defensive effort, he could indeed become the league’s best player while making the Hawks’ trade decision look even worse in hindsight.