The 30 most painful NBA Draft pass-ups since 2000

NBA Draft Mistake #25: Atlanta trading Luka Doncic for Trae Young and Cam Reddish.

All things considered, this isn’t nearly as egregious of a mistake as the ones to follow, but it is still a mistake. The Atlanta Hawks selected Luka Doncic third overall in 2018 but agreed to a trade with the Dallas Mavericks for the draft rights to Trae Young and a future first-round pick, which became Cam Reddish. Young has become a two-time all-star, proving worthy of the fifth pick, but Reddish is already on his third team in four seasons.

Compare that with Doncic, who won Rookie of the Year, is a four-time all-star, and has made four all-NBA teams in his first five seasons, and it is clear that he is the best player in the deal. Worse yet, Young, despite being a great player, has clashed with coaches and teammates, so much so that the Hawks are open to trading him this summer.

Although Dallas has their own issues with Doncic, he is still among the NBA’s elite players while Young probably ranks in the teens or early twenties. Had Reddish worked out, then we might be having a different discussion, but as it stands, the Hawks gave up a great player for a very good player, and that is never a good idea.