Franchise Legend Thinks Luka Doncic Will Still Retire With Dallas Mavericks

Nico Harrison's decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers should've been a move that cratered the Dallas Mavericks for nearly a decade. Doncic had just led them to the NBA Finals the year before, but Harrison's ego got in the way, and he made the worst trade in the history of sports.

It'll hurt Mavericks fans for a long time. Even once they got lucky and landed the first pick last year to take Cooper Flagg, a future superstar in his own right, Doncic was a connective tissue to Dirk Nowitzki. Tearing that away is something that will never sit right with a lot of fans.

Still, fans will always wonder if Doncic would ever come back to the Mavericks, despite his heart being ripped out unexpectedly. Derek Harper, who is a broadcaster for Mavs TV and whose Mavericks jersey hangs in the rafters, believes Doncic will retire as a Mav one day.

"I love Nico, Nico is my buddy, but I would not want my name on that trade if I ever had anything to do with the NBA," Harper said on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back." "You look back, you gave away what, 30 points, eight and nine [rebounds and assists], you gave it to somebody else for a guy that is no longer on your roster. That one is hard to get around. It is just something at the time I think they thought about doing, and they were quick to react, and it just did not work out, especially here in Dallas. People love Luka here. I think he will eventually retire a Maverick."

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Mavericks Fans Can Keep Dreaming About a Luka Doncic Return

Mavericks fans are already looking to 2028 to be hopeful about Luka Doncic returning to Dallas. He has a player option that offseason and can opt out to sign a supermax contract. By that time, he'll have been in the NBA for 10 years, and with his All-NBA appearances, he'll be able to get that supermax from anyone.

If the Lakers haven't shown that they can compete by then, Doncic may start to explore his options. He's a loyal person, which is why he wanted to be a Maverick forever, and a lot of trust was broken by blindly trading him.

Most of the people involved in that decision are gone now, though. Nico Harrison was fired in November, they parted ways with Jason Kidd a few weeks ago, and a lot of the medical staff and front office have seen turnover.

Patrick Dumont is still the team governor. He was really just a mouthpiece for Nico Harrison, but he still said a lot of things he probably wishes he could take back. LeBron James eventually went back to win a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers despite Dan Gilbert's harsh words. Maybe Doncic will do the same.

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