Project 2028: The Reality Of Luka Doncic Returning To The Mavericks

Whether Luka Doncic eventually or eventually does not return to the Dallas Mavericks, this has been a fun exercise to play out if it is even a possibility. Now that we have laid out both the motivation and the path for all parties involved, it’s time to ask the $250 million question. Is this possible? Tyler and David, the architects of the project, give their thoughts.

Tyler’s take

So, what are the chances that this can actually happen? For Dallas’ part, everyone who was instrumental in the demise of Doncic has been fired, and the team has pretty clearly shown it’s trying to distance itself from what happened. Yes, ownership is still in place, but I don’t view that as problematic. LeBron went home to Cleveland after Dan Gilbert torched him on the team website right after “The Decision”, left again in 2018, and might even go back for a third tour of duty as a Cav. There’s precedent, and ownership in reality plays a very small role in the day to day operations for a player. 

The Mavericks just need to position themselves to be a legitimate contender between now and then. As the Lakers try and manage their way through the West with a deeply flawed roster, the potential that Doncic becomes disgruntled with a situation he didn’t ask for grows. Dallas just needs to be ready to pounce when it happens. It feels like it’s a somewhere between a pipe dream and a somewhat realistic I’ve just seen the future dream for Doncic to come home at the moment. But dreams sometimes turn to reality. And for that matter, sometimes it’s not just a dream. It’s fate.

David’s take

Of course, the plan we laid out is all fan fiction currently. But the facts are the facts. Seeds are being planted that could push Doncic back to the Lone Star State in two years. Realistically, I would give it a 30 or so percent chance. The Lakers will be the only team eligible to offer him a life-changing amount of money, and that may simply be too hard to pass up. We could be overestimating the emotional piece in all this, and maybe Doncic just goes somewhere better positioned to win. A situation like LeBron James returning to Cleveland in 2014 rarely happens, and for good reason. There are a thousand moving pieces in a deal like that. That being said, if the player wants it, the team will make it work. Jim Paschke, former television voice of the Bucks, expressed this exact sentiment recently in an interview with new member of the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He tells him that he can “always come home”, and the former MVP acknowledges that option will be in his mind. Antetokounmpo is much older than Doncic, and referenced a tail-end Kevin Garnett as the likely precedent to a future move, but the fact remains: an active player is willing to concede that coming home one day is something on their mind.

Sometimes, fans romanticize sports in a way that players never consider. But sometimes, the player is on the same page too. And we have a puncher’s chance that Doncic feels the same way we do.