Luka Doncic Says He 'Honestly' Thought Kings Would Select Him in 2018 NBA Draft

Consider Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic among those who still can't figure out why the Sacramento Kings didn't select him with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

Speaking to The Athletic's Sam Amick, Doncic recently recalled his thoughts heading into draft night and why he was convinced he'd land in Sacramento.

"They came to Madrid," Doncic said of the Kings scouting him. "They came with the owner. Everybody came, so I honestly thought they were going to pick me."

That information is only likely to continue to bum out Kings fans. As Doncic lights up the league in Dallas, the prospect Sacramento selected in the draft instead, Marvin Bagley III, has yet to establish himself as a franchise cornerstone.

Through nearly one-and-a-half years in the league, the numbers aren't even comparable.

Doncic: 23.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game in 110 contests (11.7 win share)

Bagley: 14.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in 73 contests (3.9 win share)

As the Kings look to end a league-leading 13-year playoff drought, that's the type of elite talent they've long coveted. Instead, Sacramento has whiffed on lottery picks including Thomas Robinson (fifth overall), Ben McLemore (seventh overall), Nik Stauskas (eighth overall), Willie Cauley-Stein (sixth overall) and Zach Collins (10th overall) in recent years. The jury is still out on De'Aaron Fox and Bagley, but their prospects of succeeding with the Kings feels slim.

None of the draft misses will hurt as much as Doncic does, though. This was a pick that had been teed up for Sacramento after the Phoenix Suns selected DeAndre Ayton No. 1 overall in 2018.

"I mean, I think it's because of Euroleague; it's different basketball," Doncic told Amick about why the Kings passed on him. "I was averaging in Europe—in the Spanish League—like 12 points (per game). And in Euroleague 14 (points per game). So it's different basketball."

Whether that's the true reason, it'll do little to ease the pain of Sacramento fans who continue their search for a savior.