There was plenty of buzz about Slovenian teenager Luka Doncic leading up to the 2018 NBA Draft, and for good reason. He was arguably the best European prospect to ever enter the draft, and at just 19 years old helped Real Madrid win titles in the Spanish League and EuroLeague, while being named MVP of the Spanish League, EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four.
And when the draft finally rolled around, he was selected No. 3 overall by the Atlanta Hawks, though that was just a prelude to the eventual trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the No. 5 overall pick (Trae Young) and a future first-round pick.
But it seems as though we'll have to wait to see him in action. According to a report from Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks are planning to keep Doncic out of Las Vegas Summer League next month. Coming off a long and busy season in Spain with Real Madrid, they'd prefer not to wear him out. Via ESPN:
The Mavericks are leaning toward holding No. 3 overall pick Luka Doncic out of the Las Vegas Summer League, team sources told ESPN, as the franchise is prioritizing rest for their prized rookie on the heels of the 19-year-old's long season with Real Madrid.
This is obviously a bit of a bummer for not only Mavericks fans, but casual observers of the league. It's always fun to see the top picks play for the first time during summer league. But especially with players from overseas like Doncic, who many fans haven't seen outside of a few highlight clips here and there.
But this is the right decision by the Mavericks. You don't move up to No. 3 to take a guy unless you're convinced he can be the next face of your franchise. And there's no reason to do anything you think might potentially jeopardize that possibility.
