Former Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac made noteworthy statements regarding his decision not to select Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft. In that draft, the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton with the first pick, while the Kings chose Marvin Bagley III with the second pick. Doncic, meanwhile, was selected third by the Atlanta Hawks and immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young and a future first-round pick. In an interview on Byron Scott's podcast, Divac explained his decision: "A year before the draft, I went to Madrid and met with Luka. He was high on my list. But it seems I made a mistake. Luka is an incredible talent, one of the best players in the league." Divac stated that he saw Doncic as a point guard who controlled the ball too much, and that this would lead to a role clash with De'Aaron Fox: "My assistants said he could play small forward, but I saw him as a point guard. He's practically a coach on the court. If I had taken him, I would have had to trade Fox. I had formed a bond with Fox and thought he was suitable for a small-market team. Luka, on the other hand, was a big-market player." The Bagley pick remains one of the most criticized draft decisions in NBA history. Bagley spent about three and a half seasons with the Kings before being traded to the Detroit Pistons and continuing his career with various teams. Doncic, meanwhile, became one of the league's biggest stars, and in the 2025-26 season, he stood out as both his team's and the NBA's top scorer while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.