New report gives Mavericks hope for a dream Luka Doncic reunion

Ever since Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February of 2025, Dallas Mavericks fans have been hoping for a pipe-dream return of Doncic to Dallas, and a recent report from ESPN's Tim MacMahon adds credence to this possibility.

"He's done nothing but express optimism and excitement about the Lakers since he signed that extension," MacMahon said regarding Doncic on a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective". "But it's not that long-term of an extension, and you better believe there's teams around the league that are looking at that situation and saying, 'Hey, if this thing goes sideways, we'd sure like to get Luka in the midway through his prime.'"

New report gives further credence to a potential Doncic return in Dallas

To MacMahon's point, Doncic can become an unrestricted free agent as soon as the 2028 offseason if he declines his $57.4 million player option for the 2028-29 season. Doncic will be eligible to sign another extension with the Lakers next year, so there's no doubt the Mavericks and other teams across the league will keep a keen eye on how things develop in Los Angeles for Doncic and company over this coming season.

The Lakers had a very active offseason, as they signed-and-traded for Walker Kessler, acquired former Maverick Quentin Grimes, and also acquired names such as Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, Kevon Looney, Mattise Thybulle, and another former Maverick, Jaden Hardy. On top of this, they also just shifted owners for the second time within the last year.

The Lakers are hoping these new role players will help them compete for a championship with Doncic spearheading the roster following the departure of LeBron James, but there's definitely doubt across the league over whether Los Angeles has enough talent to make that happen in a loaded Western Conference. On paper, the Lakers severely lack perimeter defense, unless they have a huge role planned for an offensively-starved player like Thybulle.

Why Mavericks fans should keep an eye on Luka Doncic's situation

They certainly project as a playoff team, but if injuries and defensive questions ultimately force them into another playoff exit in the first or second round, Doncic could easily become discontent and halt future extension talks. This would give the Mavericks a prime opportunity to lure him back to Dallas in the summer of 2028.

If Doncic came back to Dallas as a free agent in 2028, the magnitude of such a move could probably only be compared to when James went back to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. Dallas would be getting him back in the middle of his prime to play with Cooper Flagg, and the pain from Nico Harrison's terrible decision to trade Doncic in the first place would be partially healed.

Of course, it doesn't seem like anything imminent will be happening in terms of Doncic leaving Los Angeles to come back to Dallas, or anywhere else for that matter. Mavericks fans and the media will definitely keep a watchful eye on how things go in Los Angeles as well as Doncic's mood throughout this next season or two, as there's certainly a shot in the dark he could come back to Dallas given the Mavericks' regime change, but nothing is set in stone right now.

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