Luka Doncic Fuels Mavericks Return Rumors as Lakers Star Partners With Former GM

Dallas Mavericks fans remain hopeful that Luka Doncic will return to the organization one day. The trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers never sat right with the fanbase, or anyone in the NBA, for that matter. And that latest report shows he still has some Dallas ties.

According to Joe Vardon, Sam Amick, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson is heading an investor group that is looking to buy a team in Italy, Vanoli Basket Cremona, which is likely part of a move to join the NBA Europe scene forming. Part of that investor group is Lakers star Luka Doncic.

Nelson pulled off the draft night trade that landed Doncic with the Mavericks back in 2018, swapping the 3rd and 5th picks with the Atlanta Hawks, which gave Atlanta Trae Young (and Cam Reddish in a future draft). That relationship is clearly still there if Doncic is joining part of this ownership group.

It was also initially reported that Dirk Nowitzki would be part of this ownership group, but Nowitzki's spokesperson, Scott Tomlin, has refuted that report. This is likely a much larger investment group, as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is seeking roughly $1 billion per team that joins with NBA Europe.

If the sale goes through for Nelson's group, the plan is for them to establish a new team in Rome, which currently doesn't have a basketball club, and Adam Silver would like to establish something in that market. Silver also hopes to have NBA Europe up and running by September 2027.

Donnie Nelson was the Mavericks' general manager from 2005 to 2021 and is the son of the legendary former Mavericks coach Don Nelson. Doncic was with the Mavericks from 2018 to 2025 before he was inexplicably traded away by former GM Nico Harrison.

Jun 22, 2018; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson answers questions during a press conference at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Could Luka Doncic Return to Dallas Mavericks?

With how Luka Doncic has been so openly supported by Mavericks fans since the trade, there remains hope he could one day return to the franchise. He made sure to show that support back in the last game in Dallas in January, where he met with multiple writers, fans, and other personalities who have loudly voiced that support.

Doncic just signed a contract extension this offseason, a three-year, $165 million deal, but it has a player option for the 2028 offseason. At that point, he would be eligible to sign a five-year, roughly $417 million supermax extension with the Lakers worth 35% of the salary cap. If he were to leave the Lakers, the most he could sign for is a four-year contract, but it would still be worth 35% of the cap because of his then-10 years of experience and having multiple First-Team All-NBA selections.

That four-year contract could actually be more beneficial. By the time Doncic would enter free agency in 2028, he would be 29 years old. A four-year contract would make him a free agent again at 33, which is a little more palatable an age to give one last big contract to, assuming he stays healthy until then.

Another thing fueling rumors of a return is a possible ownership change with the Mavericks. Marc Stein reported that there is an investment group interested in partnering with Mark Cuban to buy back a majority share of the Mavericks from Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont. Doncic and Cuban still clearly like each other, based on interactions seen between the two after Mavericks-Lakers games, and that could help repair the relationship between the player and the franchise.

The general manager who traded Doncic is already gone, but there are still some in the building who weren't the biggest fans of Doncic. It wouldn't be surprising to see Cuban clean house if it meant bringing Doncic back if he becomes the team's owner again, even if that means letting go of Jason Kidd, whose role in the trade seems murky. Nico Harrison swore he acted alone in the decision to trade Doncic, as has every report that has come out, but no one seems convinced by it.

Doncic's main home is still in Dallas as well, though that could just be for tax purposes to list as his primary residence.

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