NBA Exec Compares Luka Dončić’s Draft Snub for Deandre Ayton to Michael Jordan, Bowie

One NBA executive believes that the Phoenix Suns passing up on Luka Dončić for Deandre Ayton in the 2018 NBA draft “might one day” be considered as bad as the Portland Trail Blazers choosing Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft.

NBA reporter Marc Stein relayed those thoughts.

“And as put to me by one admiring rival executive, who has been marveling at Dončić’s play throughout these playoffs, watching intently as No. 77 repeatedly punishes defenses that are trying to wear him down: ‘Drafting Deandre Ayton over Luka Dončić might one day be as bad as Bowie over Jordan.'”

The Suns took Ayton at No. 1 overall before the Sacramento Kings selected Marvin Bagley III second.

The Dallas Mavericks then traded up from No. 5 to No. 3 with the Atlanta Hawks to select the ex-Real Madrid star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member who just led the Mavs to the Western Conference title.

Ayton, now a Trail Blazer, has been productive during his six years, averaging 16.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Obviously, he (and anyone else taken in the 2018 draft) hasn’t come close to Dončić’s production and accolades. And if the Suns could do it over again, they’d clearly choose Dončić, who’s been one of the NBA’s top players over the past five years.

It’s a tough blow for the Suns to take, and the same goes for the Kings, who only had Bagley (career averages of 13.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG) for 148 total games. Perhaps it is for Atlanta as well, even though the Hawks got the second-best player from that draft in three-time All-Star Trae Young.

As for the historical comparison, injuries hindered Bowie’s career, though it’s hard to classify him as a total bust. When healthy, he was still productive, averaging 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Obviously, that comes nowhere near to what Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP, was able to accomplish. And if Portland could do it again, the Blazers would assuredly take Jordan knowing how that turned out. Ultimately, they didn’t have a chance at the No. 1 player in that draft, Akeem (now Hakeem) Olajuwon, who became a two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer with the Houston Rockets.

Time will tell if Ayton/Bagley over Dončić is considered in the same vein as Bowie over Jordan. For now, though, Dončić and the Mavs are rolling into the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, with Game 1 taking place on June 6.