The Phoenix Suns will be picking first in this year’s NBA Draft, and an early favorite has already emerged for who they might take with it.
The Suns, who finished with the worst record in the NBA this season at 21-61 and therefore had the best lottery odds, won Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery and earned the No. 1 overall pick. The news promptly led to buzz that they might target 19-year-old European star Luka Doncic, especially since he was coached on the Slovenian national team by new Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov.
Reminder: The Phoenix Suns' new head coach, Igor Kokoskov, was Luka Doncic's head coach when he won the 2017 EuroBasket title. Will Igor and Luka reunite in Phoenix?
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) May 16, 2018
Booker/Doncic/Jackson is fun.
— Josh Eberley (@JoshEberley) May 16, 2018
If the Suns don't take Doncic tht would be one of the most remarkable passes in draft history, assuming Igor loves him.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 16, 2018
Doncic is going to the Suns.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) May 16, 2018
Igor Kokoskov is gonna get Luka Doncic. #Suns should be thrilled.
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) May 16, 2018
While Doncic is a wildly intriguing prospect with his combination of size, scoring, playmaking, and vast experience playing against the best teams in Europe, the Suns also have a major need at center, where Deandre Ayton (a University of Arizona product) plays. Regardless, Doncic has been getting top pick hype for months now, so it’s hard to see Phoenix going wrong either way.
