The draft night trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks was a nice surprise, and it could help the team get back to winning in Dirk Nowitzki’s final seasons.

The Atlanta Hawks were widely expected to draft Luka Doncic, the 6’8″ guard out of Slovenia and reigning EuroLeague MVP. What they were not expected to do was trade him to the Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic, arguably the best player in the 2018 NBA Draft class, is one of the most proven prospects in recent memory. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert, Lauri Markkannen and Goran Dragic are just a few European prospects that have taken the league by storm in recent years. Doncic is better at 19 years old than any of them were at his age.

The Dallas Mavericks needed a transcendent, young player to guide them back to playoff contention. Here’s five reasons why trading up for Doncic gave them their best chance at doing just that.