There is a well-known story that you, as the GM of Sacramento at the time, skipped Dončić in the draft. With a time lag of six years, can you explain to us what the reasoning was for not choosing him?
I had De'Aaron Fox at that position, who I drafted a year earlier. At that moment, I thought that Fox was a player who could become a franchise player in the next period. Time will tell if I made a mistake. As things stand now, it looks like I am, but I have faith in little Fox that he will have a better career.
You didn't think that Fox and Doncic could play together like Doncic and Kyrie Irving play together today?
No. Irving is a classic basketball player, just like Luka. Fox isn't, he's a player who needs the ball, just like Luka needs it. I could only take Luka, but then I would have to trade Fox. Interestingly, Luka was also skipped by Phoenix, and at that time their coach was Igor Kokoškov, who was his coach in Slovenia.
Atlanta drafted him, but they also gave him up. Only Dallas took him. I like to watch Luka, I really like his basketball, but I had some of my own reasoning why I decided the way I did. I may have made a mistake, but time will tell.
It was said and written that you did not choose Luka because you are not on the best terms with his father Saša. Exactly?
It's just plain journalistic nonsense. I know Saša very well, I love and appreciate him. He even played in Kraljevo when Luka was little. It has nothing to do with the relationship. I'm looking at Luke and he's on the right track. I repeat, he will only have to watch his body.
37 comments
Biggest idiot since that guy from Portland that drafted whoever and not Jordan because Drexler was on the team.
Hmm, 5x All-NBA 1st teamer vs. unmitigated bust Marvin Bagley III and 1x 3rd teamer Fox…but time will tell
Time has told. He took a dude most NBA viewers couldn’t pick out of a lineup over a superstar.
Times players dressed up like a Super Saiyan in pregame
Fox: a couple times
Donic: Zero
It’s clear who the real winner is.
The amount Sacramento has sacrificed for deaaron fox is both hilarious as an outsider and also just painful to think about
> Time will tell if I made a mistake
That’s a wild statement considering he drafted Bagley who isn’t on the team anymore and might be out of the league soon. Not to mention his complete lack of imagination about a Fox and Luka fit, this is why you don’t just make a guy who played for you GM.
Time has told my dude.
Wild amount of ego and not willing to admit you were wrong….to be saying this in 2024
Making someone a GM because they were a good player for your team a decade prior is wild
>Time will tell
No, time did tell. And now Vlade is unemployed.
Guys watches must be absolutely fucked.
Time already told us everything we need to know.
The second Luka stepped on an NBA court time was told.
Came to comment that time already has told… but the full answers are way less delusional sounding than the headline.
I thought he had said this back then, still having that mindset in 2024 is absolutely wild lol
Nothing to be ashamed of literally every GM makes mistakes in the drafts, just own it and don’t say stupid shit.
I guess Vlade is that guy who takes critisism really well and has a great ability of self reflection 😊
It’s almost always considered to be a bad idea to draft based on position, especially higher picks. You should take best player available and figure it out from there.
“Former Kings GM Vlade Divac” time already told brother.
Bro is acting like Fox and Luka can’t play together or that Bagley has contributed in the league or that Luka is not a superstar.
I think it’s funny how much hate the Kings and Hawks get for this draft while Phoenix goes through unscathed.
Fox shouldn’t even be relevant to the conversation. You picked Bagley. Your team sucked and you need to just pick the best player available, and you picked Bagley. Never let this man into G1C.
Kings have made some questionable and solid moves. Not taking Luka was dumb but whatever. They’re still a more respected then team then what they use to be. C+ overall
I hate this dude so much. Absolute clown
Worse excuse, Vlade.
Time has always already told man. Really the only way that remotely flips is if they get a championship with Fox on the roster. Which could happen, but not with him and Sabonis as 1a/1b, I think.
Seems to be working well with Kyrie sooooo
I would believe these lies if the Kings didn’t immediately pick Halliburton (another point guard) 2 months after Vlade left the Kings GM position.
He can tell himself anything to help him feel better but clearly ownershipnwould have been fond with another point guard despite Fox being there.
Also, a Luka/Fox backcourt would be sick.
Nah. We don’t need time. We can tell. You fucked up.
Even he knows it because he’s using the excuse that they already had fox the year before when we know:
A) Luka has played incredible alongside Kyrie
B) You spent the pick on Marvin Bagley
Even if we use his argument for the sake of argument… he still fucked up the pick. Jaren Jackson Jr was picked right after and is 1000x better than bagley has been.
Fox is good but you take Luka 100 out of 100 times.
I’m sure if he were to pick again today he’d go with Luka… if that’s not time doing its telling then I don’t know what is.
Time has already told.
I’m willing to give him some benefit of the doubt here (in no conceivable scenario would Dončić fully realize his potential playing alongside Fox and being coached by Luke Walton; his questionable attitude is also a legitimate concern), but why on earth would you go with a guy who obviously lied about his height (at 6’11” you could consider him a prospect but at 6’8″ he’s severely undersized for what he wants to play) instead of JJJ, a guy with tremendous defensive potential (winning DPOY eventually) and some catch-and-shoot ability who, when paired with a better rebounder, could easily lead your team into a top 10 defense.
I’m honestly more shocked that he didn’t go with Mo Bamba given his reputation for almost exclusively drafting his own clones.
Imagine an alternate reality where Doncic gets drafted by the kings and de’aaron fox and Dennis smith jr switch places
I thought maybe this was an interview at the time and I was like okay I guess that makes sense to explain his reasoning but he said this in 2024 lmao
We need to give it at least ten more years.
How much more should time tell, Vlade?