Agent: Luka Doncic won’t work out for any team prior to 2018 NBA Draft
May 2, 2018, 9:03 AM
Serbia's Stefan Jovic, left, challenges Slovenia's Luka Doncic, right, during their Eurobasket European Basketball Championship final match in Istanbul, Sunday, Sept. 17. 2017. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Likely top-2 NBA Draft pick Luka Doncic will not work out for the Phoenix Suns or any other team prior to draft day, his agent, Bill Duffy, told Sporting News’ Sean Deveney.
The Slovenian guard’s busy European professional schedule will make him unavailable for the NBA Draft Combine from May 16-20, which falls during the EuroLeague Final Four on May 18 and 20.
The Spanish Liga ACB playoffs will follow in June, and Duffy confirmed that Doncic will remain with his Real Madrid club.
“I don’t think that will be an issue,” Duffy told Sporting News on Tuesday. “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.”
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Arizona center Deandre Ayton and Doncic are regarded as the two best prospects in the 2018 draft class.
Doncic’s inability to work out with teams could be relevant to the Suns, who have the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick and at worst after the NBA Draft Lottery will pick fourth overall.
A deep run in the ACB playoffs would also make Doncic unavailable to attend the draft on June 21 in Brooklyn, New York.
His inability to work out for NBA clubs likely will not significantly impact his draft stock, but it does lend questions about how or whether teams can do individual physical checkups on Doncic after a grueling pro season. Other than that, it could keep teams from athletic tests done at the combine that could help or hurt Doncic, who is viewed as an average to below-average athlete by NBA standards.
The 6-foot-6 guard is averaging 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 24.8 minutes per game in EuroLeague and Liga ACB play this year.
Doncic and Real Madrid are coming off a 3-1 series victory over Panathinaikos Athens, a team that put the clamps on the 19-year-old phenom with athletic wing Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the brother of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo — Panathinaikos also features former Suns point guard Mike James.
Doncic averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists and shot 34 percent over the four-game series.
