By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Sacramento Kings GM Vlade Divac explained why his team chose to skip Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft procedure and instead select Duke forward/center Marvin Bagley III with the 2nd overall pick.
“Marvin (Bagley) is for us a better fit. A better player. A great talent. It was an easy choice for us,” Divac answered when asked what was involved in the decision to not draft Doncic and go with Bagley.
Earlier this month, Divac, together with Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, had traveled to Madrid to meet with Doncic, during the second round of the Spanish ACB playoffs. But it seems that Bagley ultimately won the front office and coaches of Sacramento.
“He’s (Marvin Bagley) who is very talented. In my mind, an elite talent in this Draft. It was an easy choice for me when we were on the call,” Divac further elaborated after a journalist asked him what separated Bagley from Doncic.
Doncic, the reigning EuroLeague season and Final Four MVP, plus ACB MVP, was eventually drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the 3rd overall pick to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks.