If every NBA player were available and general managers were forced to re-draft teams, Luka Doncic would be the first player off the board. Several others would be considered, but based on age and talent levelDoncic is the obvious choice.
The Mavericks point guard is only 25 years old and probably hasn’t reached his peak yet despite averaging over 27 points and eight assists for five consecutive seasons. Doncic led the league in scoring in 2024 while averaging 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game. He just led his team to the NBA Finals and has been named to the All-NBA First Team every year since his rookie season.
Doncic is a complete package on offense, and he’s even started pick it up recently on defense. During last year’s playoffs, he was praised for his improved contributions and the intensity on that side of the ball.
“His size and ball-handling ability keep you on your toes throughout the game. On top of that, being a three-level scorer, you have to worry about everything. You don’t want him to make his three-pointers from behind, so you have to rush him, but he’s agile and has great handling, so he can use his leverage to get past you, and obviously his court vision is unreal.” said Stephen Curry.
What makes Doncic the best pick in a hypothetical draft is that he will be as good, if not better, for a very long time. His game is not based on his athleticism, but entirely on his skill and IQ. He will dominate the NBA for much longer than the average player, as his game will slowly decline with age, and he will only continue to add to his package.
It can be argued that Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo are currently better than Doncic and deserve consideration as a top pick, but Doncic has an equally compelling argument for being the best player in the NBA right now, and he’s four years younger than all three.
Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are closer to Doncic in age, but the Slovenian superstar is better than them at this stage of their careers.
The most compelling case for a player who could be valued higher than Doncic is probably Victor Wembanyama. At just 20 years old, there are still too many unknowns about his abilities and some uncertainty about whether his physicality will hold up long-term. It would be too risky to select him to take Doncic’s place.
