The Dallas Mavericks might have done much more than the most daunting trade of the 2018 NBA Draft by swapping picks with the Atlanta Hawks to garner the rights to Luka Doncic, but could have also used their last overall pick to look out for their long-term future. The Mavs drafted Kostas Antetokounmpo with the 60th and last pick of the draft, something that can pay off down the road when his brother, Giannis, becomes a free agent in a couple of years.
“They’re looking down the road,’’ an NBA executive told Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal-Times a few days after the draft. “(The Mavs) know Giannis will be a free agent in a couple of years and this was a way to interest him in Dallas.’’
Kostas was slated to go undrafted, but having already drafted gems like Doncic and two-time NCAA champion Jalen Brunson into their team, taking a flyer on the 6-foot-10, 200-pound Antetokounmpo was a no-brainer for a team starving for excellence.
Another NBA executive didn’t hesitate in responding.
“Of course, they did,’’ he said succinctly.
The aforementioned executive then claimed that the team’s decision to pick Antetokounmpo was driven by team owner Mark Cuban, instead of the Mavs’ scouting department.
“I actually thought it was a great move on Cuban’s part,’’ the source said. “With the last pick, they had nothing to lose, so why not take a flyer on (Kostas) and see if he can develop into a player and make an impression on Giannis.’’
Giannis has two more seasons left in his four-year, $100 million extension of his rookie contract, but very few executives expect him to remain in Milwaukee for very long unless the Bucks have a clear shot at the NBA title in the near future.
If that is indeed the case, Cuban might have given himself a little extra edge or at least secured himself a meeting with The Greek Freak, so long as his brother remains on the roster to complete this family affair.
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