DALLAS STEALS DONCIC, HAWKS GET TRAE YOUNG
The Dallas Mavericks acquired the draft rights to point forward Luka Doncic from the Atlanta Hawks for the draft rights to point guard Trae Young and a protected 1st-round draft pick in 2019.
What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
This might eventually be seen as one of the biggest heists in NBA Draft history. Doncic is easily the most heralded teenage player to ever come out of Europe, and the Mavs clearly wanted him (so give up a 1st-rounder in 2019, which is top-5 protected). Young has a chance to be a star, but Doncic has a chance to be a superstar.
What does it give the Atlanta Hawks
This deal has a significant chance to backfire on Atlanta's brass. Young can shoot and pass, but he's small and turnover-prone and brings major defensive issues. Meanwhile most NBA observers see Doncic as a potentially generational talent, so this looks like a major mistake--even if the Hawks do add another fairly high first-rounder next year.
Fantasy impact
Doncic not only looks near-ready to be a star in the NBA, he will likely have a big role with Dallas. Additionally, the mentorship of aging European superstar Dirk Nowitzki is a perfect fit for Doncic. Draft Doncic in the third or fourth round in most fantasy formats, and don't look back. Young as well should play significant minutes and produce solid scoring and assists totals, but he needs to beat out Dennis Schroder for starts and play enough defense to stay on the floor.
