Forget about Steph Curry. There’s a new player Trae Young will be compared to: international import Luka Doncic — the intriguing prospect from Slovenia he was traded for Thursday night.
In the biggest move of draft night, the Hawks selected the playmaking 6-foot-8 Doncic third overall and traded his rights to the Mavericks for Young and a protected first-round 2019 pick.
The two players, both much discussed entering the draft for different reasons, will be intertwined years down the road. Some found it hard to adequately judge the 19-year-old Doncic from afar despite his being the youngest MVP of EuroLeague and leading Real Madrid to the title. Young, meanwhile, was the first player in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring (27.4) and assists (8.8) but was torn down in the pre-draft process, his size, strength, shot selection and defense roundly criticized.
“I think people get caught up a little bit in the fact of finding things that people can’t do instead of looking at the things that the player can do,” said Young, who led Oklahoma to the NCAA Tournament a year after the Sooners won just 11 games. “When you look at that, I think you see the greater things in people.”
Switching countries and cultures, Doncic has the bigger transition. But he said he feels ready for the challenge that awaits, teaming with electric young guard Dennis Smith Jr. He has played professionally since the age of 15 and is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
“I played against EuroLeague stars, I played against ex-NBA players. I had four or five players on my team that played in the NBA,” Doncic said. “I have some great teammates, they taught me so much, and especially the NBA players. They’ve been talking to me about the NBA the whole year. They know I was coming, so I think I was prepared.”