Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic would be first pick in NBA redraft

If every NBA player was available and general managers were forced to redraft teams, Luka Doncic would be the first player off the board. Several others would be in consideration, but based on age and talent level , Doncic is the obvious choice.

The Mavericks point guard is only 25 years old and likely still has yet to enter his prime despite averaging more than 27 points and eight assists for five straight seasons . Doncic led the league in scoring in 2024 while also averaging 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds a night. He just carried his team to the NBA Finals and has been named to the All-NBA First Team every year since his rookie season.

Doncic is the total package on offense, and he has even started to pick it up on the defensive end recently. During last year's playoff run, he was praised for his improved contributions and intensity on that side of the ball.

"His size and his ball-handling skills keep you on edge the whole game. That, plus being a three-level scorer, you have to worry about everything. You don't want him to get his step-back threes going, so you have to press up on him, but he is shifty and has a great handle, so he can use his leverage to get by you, and obviously, his court vision is unreal," said Stephen Curry .

What makes Doncic the best selection in a hypothetical redraft is that he is going to be this good, if not better, for a very long time. His game is not built on athleticism but is entirely skill and IQ-based. He will dominate in the NBA for far longer than the average player because his game will diminish slowly 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 better right now than Doncic and warrant consideration as the first pick, but Doncic has just as compelling an argument to be the current best player in the NBA, and he is four years younger than all three.

Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are closer in age to Doncic, but the Slovenian superstar is better than them at this stage of their careers.

The most convincing case for a player to be valued higher than Doncic is probably Victor Wembanyama. At only 20 years of age, there is still too much unknown about how good he can become and some uncertainty as to whether his body will hold up in the long run. He would be too risky of a pick to take over the sure thing in Doncic.