30 NBA players who were traded before becoming stars
By Cal Durrett
9. Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA but inexplicably fell to third during the 2019 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Hawks and then promptly traded to the Mavericks in a deal that brought Trae Young to Atlanta. While that netted both teams' stars, the Mavericks clearly got the better player in the deal.
At the age of 24, he is already a four-time NBA all-star, with a fifth straight selection all but assured. He has also made the All-NBA four times, with another nod incoming. Better still, he has put up unprecedented numbers, averaging a staggering 28.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 359 career games—truly elite production.
Not only that, but he could very well keep this up for another 10 seasons. If that is the case, then he is sure to win at least a couple of MVPs and possibly even a championship or two and throw himself into the goat conversation. Compare that to Young, who is great but not a top-5 player, and it's clear that the Hawks should have just held onto Doncic when they drafted him.