Regardless of NBA Draft position, the Memphis Grizzlies cannot escape rumors tying them to European prospect Luka Doncic.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported on Sunday afternoon that the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks — the second and third overall picks, respectively — are likely to skip over Luka Doncic, a 19-year-old European point guard.
"“The growing consensus among NBA decision-makers in attendance at Stark Arena in Belgrade is that the teams drafting behind the Phoenix Suns at No. 1, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks are likely to pass on European prodigy in favor of American frontcourt players. The question remains whether a team will trade up into the top three to snag Doncic, or if he will fall to the No. 4 (Memphis) or even the No. 5 pick (Dallas) after being heavily scouted in the Euroleague playoffs against Panathinaikos and mostly struggling.”"
There is still a chance Doncic is chosen by the Phoenix Suns with the first pick, especially after their recent hire of Igor Kokoskov as Head Coach. Important to note is Kokoskov having coached Luka Doncic as part of the Slovenian national team in the past. It is not a guarantee either way on if the Suns will select Doncic or if they will go with a big man instead.
From a Memphis Grizzlies perspective, prior to learning their fate at the Draft Lottery, it looked as if Doncic would be off the board after the first two selections were made in June’s NBA Draft. The Memphis Grizzlies owned a 19.9% chance at the first overall pick — the lottery’s second-best overall odds.
If Luka Doncic were to be on the board when the Grizzlies receive their turn at drafting, it is a collective feeling across the fan base that the Slovenian would be their guy.
Is that a good thing?
It could be. Doncic has been an international star and has played off the charts this season for his team, Real Madrid. He is clearly on a different level compared to the surrounding competition he has faced.
However, international competition is vastly different from actual NBA-level talent. It is tough to gauge whether European prospects will thrive in the NBA game for many different reasons (rule changes, physicality, speed, pace, travel schedule, quantity of games being played, attitudes, business decisions, etc — the list goes on).
Though the the top pick would have been nice, you could almost feel Grizz Nation’s sigh of relief when everyone realized the franchise would likely select a more low-risk prospect. This fan base does not want to suffer through another major draft bust.
Things have since changed directions.
Luka Doncic is not fully committing to the NBA just yet. He has until May 30th to make his final decision to remain in the NBA Draft or to play another year in the EuroLeague. This is the 19-year-old using leverage to somewhat determine his landing spot in June’s Draft.
If the Suns, Kings, and Hawks all pass on Luka Doncic, the next-in-line team would become the Memphis Grizzlies.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders explains (directly below) why Doncic would actually be willing to play in Memphis, despite the city being in the small market category.
No sense of where Luka wants to play --- but the dream sceanrio was always to land him with Conley and Gasol. Was told repeatedly, Grizz want to try and win next season, meaning a win-now guy makes sense - if they can't turn they blow it up in 2019. https://t.co/cj9uxF2izk
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) May 20, 2018
A backcourt tandem of Mike Conley and Luka Doncic could be lethal if “Mac-11” is fully healthy and Doncic actually lives up to the hype. Mix that with center Marc Gasol and a solid small forward in Dillon Brooks, and Memphis would be right back on track in the Western Conference.
Nonetheless, the Grizzlies are infamous for their subpar choices at the annaul NBA Draft, rarely hitting and mostly missing.
Specifically with the fourth overall pick, the team has struck gold in the past. In 2007, the Grizzlies took Mike Conley at the fourth spot. Despite Conley never receiving a nod for an NBA All-Star Game, the starting point guard is arguably the best player in Grizz history.
The Conley pick was still not nearly as risky as the Front Office’s decision to select Hasheem Thabeet with the second overall pick in 2009. The higher pick equaled a higher risk, and it unfortunately did not result in a high reward. Honestly, it is one of the worst Draft Night decisions in NBA history.
Memphis is well aware of their success rate on Draft Night. The team’s General Manager, Chris Wallace, will not be making the decision alone. This year, multiple hands will be involved, including the newly-named head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff. This is most definitely a smart way to go about the process.
If Luka Doncic is available at No. 4, it seems inevitable that he will become the newest member of the Memphis Grizzlies organization.
Go Grizz!
Next: Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks Discusses Memphis Camp with Beale Street Bears