DALReceived
+Draft rights to Luka Dončić · No. 3Draft-rights swap · June 21, 2018
The draft-night swap that linked Luka and Trae forever
Atlanta drafted Luka Dončić third and traded his rights to Dallas for the rights to Trae Young at No. 5 and a protected 2019 first.
See where this happened in the 2018 offseason →The original receipt
Every asset in the deal
The arrows show what each team received—not which direction a player left.
ATLReceived
+Draft rights to Trae Young · No. 5Atlanta Hawks
#Protected 2019 Dallas first
Why it happened
The bet each side made
Dallas moved up for the prospect it believed could lead a franchise. Atlanta moved down two spots, secured its preferred point guard and added another first.
Why history remembers it
Both teams found an offensive centerpiece, ensuring every playoff run and accolade would reopen a trade debate that cannot be reduced to one simple winner.
The family tree
Where the picks and rights went
Selections, swaps and later trades are traced separately so a downstream player is not mistaken for a direct one-for-one return.
- 01
2018 No. 5 · selected
Trae Young →Dallas made the selection for Atlanta before the rights were exchanged.
- 02
Protected 2019 Dallas first · selected
Cam Reddish · No. 10 →The pick conveyed the following year and Atlanta selected the Duke wing.
What changed
The consequences
- Dončić won 2019 Rookie of the Year and became Dallas's franchise player.
- Young became Atlanta's lead creator and carried the Hawks to the 2021 conference finals.
- The extra first became Reddish, who Atlanta later traded to New York.
Principal profiles