Coming off two seasons with a combined 57 wins, the Mavericks were due for their second top-10 pick in back-to-back years. Except this time, it was the fifth overall pick in the draft. They desperately needed another young piece to accelerate the rebuild.
But before Adam Silver could even get to the third pick in the draft, Dallas made its move by trading up two spots for international sensation Luka Doncic. He was their guy. Scouting him since his early teenage years, they couldn’t pass up the chance of landing the next potential superstar in the NBA.
Now, roughly eight months since draft day, Doncic has exceeded all expectations as he looks to be on his way to a Rookie of the Year award in a loaded class.