“You’re not picking Luka” - Mark Cuban reveals key conversation around Young-Doncic swap
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks knew they wanted Luka Doncic back in 2018. To date, Luka Doncic and Trae Young were a part of what many considered to be the fairest draft day swap of all time. With the first pick of the 2018 draft, the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton, which led to the Sacramento Kings selecting Marvin Bagley III.
The Atlanta Hawks selected Slovenian Luka Doncic with the third pick in the draft. Following the Memphis Grizzlies' fourth-round pick, the Dallas Mavericks selected Trae Young.
Shortly after the pick was made, a draft-night trade orchestrated by Mark Cuban sent Doncic to the Mavericks and Young to the Hawks. Since then, the move has been praised by many, with both teams feeling as though they got a great deal. While many draft day trades end up being lopsided in hindsight, such as the Kobe Bryant trade, that isn't the case here.
During a recent appearance on the 'All the Smoke' podcast, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shed light on the behind-the-scenes dealings that took place prior to the trade.
"We tried and tried and tried and it was like 15 minutes to go before our pick and I called the owner at Atlanta," Cuban said. "'I'm like you're not picking Luka and you know the guy you want so let's just do this deal because he'll be there for you."'
"We'll give you a pick and you know instead of the general manager messing around let's just get this done so we got it done."
Looking back at the Luka Doncic-Trae Young trade on the heels of Mark Cuban's comments
As previously stated, the Luka Doncic-Trae Young draft day transaction has been regarded as one of the most balanced draft day trades in history. With that in mind, let's look at some statistics to determine how well-balanced the transaction was five years later.
Since being drafted in 2018, Luka Doncic has made the playoffs three times, with Trae Young also making the playoffs three times. Throughout their first five seasons, Young played in 253 games, while Doncic played in 230.
When looking at statistics, Luka Doncic's numbers seem to jump off the page, with the Slovenian star averaging a whopping 32.4 points per game last year, marking his highest-scoring season yet. In the case of Trae Young, the Hawks' guard has come into his own as a playmaker, improving on his averages season over season.
Last year, Trae Young averaged 10.2 assists per game, the most of his career. While Young's scoring numbers were down by comparison, his assist totals indicate that his game has evolved.
Given the level of both players, it's clear both Mark Cuban and the Atlanta Hawks are happy with how things turned out. With both men poised to continue to dominate the league for years to come, it will be interesting to look back at the Luka Doncic draft day Trae Young trade ten years on.