Suns' Draft Blunder: Ex-Coach Reveals Doncic Was Never Considered
The Phoenix Suns' decision to pass on Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft remains one of the franchise's most consequential missteps. According to former head coach Igor Kokoskov, the choice to select Deandre Ayton first overall was made before any serious deliberation took place.
Speaking on the X&O's Chat podcast, Kokoskov stated that the Suns never held a single serious strategic conversation about their draft pick. He attributed the decision to former owner Robert Sarver's emotional connection to Ayton, who played college basketball in Arizona.
Why did the Suns choose Ayton over Doncic?
Kokoskov explained that the franchise projected Doncic as a high-usage shooter who could pass, but not as a pure point guard. Management believed his skill set would overlap with Devin Booker rather than complement it.
“We had signed Devin Booker, and we projected Luka, I'm guessing here, as a high-usage shooter who could pass, but not a pure point guard to put alongside Booker at shooting guard, meaning they'd overlap as two off-guards,” Kokoskov said.
The former coach added that Sarver had watched Doncic play live only once and had one dinner with him. He suggested that more time tracking the young Slovenian might have changed the outcome.
What happened on draft night?
Kokoskov recounted a telling moment just thirty minutes before the draft. As Sarver was leaving his office, he turned to assistant coach Corliss Williamson and asked, “Corliss, who are we drafting tonight?”
Williamson looked to Kokoskov, who advised drafting Doncic, signing Clint Capela in free agency, and exploring a trade with Atlanta. Sarver simply replied, “Okay.”
Kokoskov noted it was the first time Sarver had asked his opinion on the matter, a half hour before the pick was due.
How costly was the mistake?
Doncic has since become one of the league's premier players, while Ayton is now on his fourth team in five years. The contrast became painfully clear in 2022 when Doncic's Dallas Mavericks routed the Suns in Game 7 of the second round, one year after Phoenix posted a franchise-record 64 wins.
Sarver's tenure was also marked by financial frugality and controversy. He announced his intention to sell the team in September 2022 after the NBA suspended him for one year following an investigation that found a history of racist and sexist behavior.
Kokoskov, who had coached Doncic with the Slovenian national team at the 2017 EuroBasket, believed the Suns should have selected him. In hindsight, drafting Doncic could have altered the franchise's trajectory for years to come, though passing on the local product Ayton would have been unpopular at the time.