Luka Doncic to Be Traded to Mavs; Dirk Nowitzki Mentorship to Be 'Good Theater'

Sight unseen, Luka Doncic is a member of the Atlanta Hawks, but he's already on the move. 

The New York Times' Marc Stein reported a blockbuster move early in the draft as the Dallas Mavericks traded a protected future first-round pick to Atlanta to move up two spots from the fifth pick. The Mavericks then selected Trae Young at No. 5, who will head to the Hawks.

The connection between Doncic and Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki was among the big talking points after the trade:

The Mavericks hope they have found their franchise point guard in Doncic, whom the Hawks officially selected with the No. 3 overall pick in Thursday night's NBA draft.

The 6'8" guard did not work out for teams ahead of the draft because of his Real Madrid commitments. 

"I don't think that will be an issue," Bill Duffy, Doncic's agent, told Sean Deveney of Sporting News. "Playing in the Euroleague speaks for itself. What he has been able to do, it speaks to both the talent and preparedness for Luka. He has had a different level of experience than most of his peers. Euroleague is the next step to playing in the NBA."

Doncic averaged 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season. He went on to become the youngest Euroleague MVP and Euroleague Final Four MVP in history while leading Real Madrid to a championship.

The question now will be about whether Doncic comes over right away. He is under contract with Real Madrid until 2021 and has not firmly committed to playing in the NBA next season. 

"Ι'm not sure if these are the last two games [in Euroleague]," Doncic said, per Alex Madrid of EuroHoops.net. "We have yet to make this decision. Perhaps after the season."

Doncic is widely viewed as one of—if not the—best European prospect in draft history. There are few who question his basketball IQ or skill set for a player his age, but there is some level of skepticism about his defense and whether he can athletically hang in the NBA. 

Between Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr., the Mavericks have their backcourt of the future. The pair will provide some excitement during what's likely to be a difficult rebuilding phase for the franchise.