Dave Joerger reflects on the Kings passing on Luka Doncic in the 2018 Draft: "He is obviously a Hall of Fame talent already, it would have been kinda fun to see what would happen"

Dave Joerger reflects on the Kings passing on Luka Doncic in the 2018 Draft: “He is obviously a Hall of Fame talent already, it would have been kinda fun to see what would happen” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

The NBA Draft is the one night when it all comes together: years of dreams, scouting, pressure, and projection. For prospects, it’s when their lives change forever. However, for the franchises, it can be just as stressful since it’s the ultimate gamble.

Nail the pick, and you’ve got a ticket to the top of the league for years to come. Miss it, and you’re right back to the drawing board, trying to piece together a new plan, hoping the next class is kinder.

The 2018 NBA Draft is a perfect example of how thin that line can be. In a class filled with promise, one team got Luka Doncic, now a perennial All-Star and a walking 30-10-10 player, while two (or three, depending on how you look at it) teams passed on him.

The Sacramento Kings, holding the No.2 pick, had the chance to take the Slovenian phenom. They went with Marvin Bagley III instead. And while Luka went on to become one of the best players of his generation, Sacramento was left wondering what could’ve been.

Joerger revisits the decision to overlook Luka

It’s not just fans and analysts who’ve revisited that moment countless times; the man who coached the Kings that year, Dave Joerger, has now opened up about the decision. And while he didn’t name names or point fingers, the tone said enough.

The rift between Joerger and then-GM Vlade Divac over the pick was real. And now, years later, the former head coach is giving his version of how it played out.

“You have to trust your front office. They do the work. They are out visiting and seeing. Not just six months, but six years watching those players, so they know what’s best for your team,” the 51-year-old head tactician said in an exclusive interview with Basketball Network.

It was a careful answer indeed. Dave didn’t want to dig up the issues from the past, but still, even he couldn’t hide the curiosity, the “what if” still sitting in the back of his and, for that matter, everyone’s minds.

“So, you know, we had a good young group; he (Doncic) is obviously a Hall of Fame talent already; it would have been kinda fun to see what would happen on it. But then again, it didn’t go that way. And he is having a good career, and (De’Aaron) Fox has had a heck of a career. I think the feeling was they didn’t really want those two together; there is only one ball…” the now-Milwaukee Bucks assistant further explained.

Not an ordinary prospect

Back in 2018, “Luka Magic” wasn’t just another overseas prospect — he was a EuroLeague champion and MVP at 19 years old, already proving he could run a team against grown men. But even with that resume, he slipped past Phoenix at No. 1, then Sacramento at No. 2, before finally being scooped up by the Dallas Mavericks at No. 3 in a draft-night trade. The Kings went with Bagley, banking on his size, athleticism, and offensive upside to anchor their young core. Obviously, it didn’t pan out.

Additionally, they already had De’Aaron Fox in the mix — a lightning-quick point guard coming into his own and clearly the face of the franchise at the time. So, from a basketball standpoint, it kind of made sense to avoid pairing him with another high-usage ball handler.

But, according to Joerger, that’s the gamble you take — do you build around what you have, or take the best player available and figure it out later? The Kings chose fit over proven Euro talent and, in doing so, let a generational superstar slip away.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Dave Joerger reflects on the Kings passing on Luka Doncic in the 2018 Draft: “He is obviously a Hall of Fame talent already, it would have been kinda fun to see what would happen”

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