When the Kings moved up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the excitement in Sacramento was palpable. General Manager Vlade Divac and the team’s management group could go in a couple of different directions, but European star Luka Doncic is expected to get plenty of consideration for a Kings team in search of a franchise player.
On Saturday, Doncic was named the Turkish Airlines MVP of the EuroLeague, which only adds more fuel to the fire in Sacramento.
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“It’s amazing, it’s like a dream come true,” the 19-year-old Slovenian told media members on Saturday. “Still, we have one more game to go, which would make me so much more happier.”
The 6-foot-8 wing posted 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 25.9 minutes per game for Real Madrid.
Doncic and his Real Madrid teammates will face off with Fenerbahce in the European Cup Finals on Sunday. His 16-point, 7-rebound performance against CSKA Moscow on Friday helped propel his club into the championship game.
“It’s going to be really really hard,” Doncic said. “Fenerbahce has an amazing team, amazing coach, they have amazing fans. So it’s going to be a really hard game. We need to be focused 40 minutes, every possession and like a team. We need to play like a team.”
There is still a possibility that Doncic could unseat Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton for the top overall selection in the draft. He’s a versatile player that can play the point guard, shooting guard and small forward position and is considered one of the best prospects to come out of Europe in the last two decades.