PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns had a chance to select a player who could define the next era of the franchise on draft night in 2018.
According to former Suns coach Igor Kokoskov, there wasn’t much debate about who they wanted that player to be.
Mar 9, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
“We never, literally never, had a single serious strategic conversation about who we were going to draft,” Kokoskov said, according to a translation of the X&O’s Chat Podcast posted Sept. 13.
Phoenix ultimately went in-state, selecting Arizona center Deandre Ayton No. 1 overall, while Luka Doncic went to Dallas at No. 3. Eight years later, Kokoskov’s reflection offers a different perspective on a decision that has remained one of the biggest what-ifs in Suns history.
Kokoskov said then-owner Robert Sarver had already decided on Ayton because of his connection to Arizona, but there were also basketball considerations. Kokoskov said the club viewed Doncic and Devin Booker as players who could occupy similar offensive roles.
Oct 31, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) with head coach Igor Kokoskov against the San Antonio Spurs at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
“We had… Devin Booker, and we projected Luka as a high-usage shooter who could pass,” Kokoskov said. “But not a pure point guard to put alongside Booker at shooting guard.”
In the end, the club wasn’t just making a choice between two top prospects. It was making a franchise-altering decision about how Booker’s future would be built and which player could complement him best.
In his first and only year with the Wildcats, Ayton averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 61.2% from the field.
Eight years later, the trajectories of the two players’ careers couldn’t be more different.
Oct 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) against Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Doncic has become a perennial MVP candidate and one of the NBA’s top offensive players, eventually moving from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers. Ayton, meanwhile, spent five seasons in the Valley and is preparing to join his fourth NBA team.
It ultimately didn’t become the long-term partnership the Suns envisioned when they made Ayton the No. 1 pick. Still, his time in Phoenix included some of the franchise’s most successful basketball in recent years, including a run to the 2021 NBA Finals.
That is what makes Kokoskov’s comments interesting.
“We never, literally never, had a single serious strategic conversation about who we were going to draft… Robert Sarver went to Arizona, so he had an emotional connection to Ayton.”
Igor Kokoskov on the Phoenix Suns not drafting Luka Doncic 😬
(Via @BrunoFeliks44 & @XOsChat) pic.twitter.com/t1HpE9JQW3
— Erik Ruby (@ErikRuby) September 15, 2026
The Suns didn’t simply pass on Doncic. They made a decision about the type of team they wanted to build around Booker, and Ayton became a central part of that plan.
Eight years later, the decision remains one of the biggest turning points in recent Suns history.
And with Doncic continuing to build his legacy elsewhere, the question surrounding Phoenix’s 2018 draft choice isn’t going away: What might the Suns’ history look like if they had made a different decision?
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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