Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has become part of an investment team led by former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson that plans to purchase Italian side Vanoli Basket Cremona and potentially relocate the franchise to Rome for a future NBA Europe venture, according to three sources cited by The Athletic.
Nelson, 63, has reached a preliminary agreement to buy the northern Italian club as a first step toward entering NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s proposed European league. Doncic, 26, joined the Lakers in a blockbuster trade from the Mavericks just over a year ago and was originally acquired by Nelson in a 2018 draft-night deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
Reports from Milan newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport suggested that former Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki was involved in the investment group, but Nowitzki’s spokesman Scott Tomlin told The Athletic that he is not part of the bid. Lithuanian basketball great Rimas Kaukenas, a longtime standout in Italy, is said to be among the investors.
Doncic, born in Slovenia, has expanded his business portfolio since arriving in Los Angeles and views potential team ownership in Europe as a natural extension of his international roots. The move comes as the NBA continues evaluating ways to widen its presence overseas.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick, reflecting recently on the February 2025 trade that brought Doncic to Los Angeles, recalled the surprise of learning the deal was imminent and noted how vital the guard has become to the franchise on and off the court.
Source: LakersNation.com
