Among the fans grieving over the Dallas Mavericks’ trade of Luka Doncic is his real estate agent.
The Slovenian point guard was under contract to buy a home set to close in the next few weeks, the Dallas Morning News reported. Mavs fans were torn up about his blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, and Doncic himself reportedly cried when he found out.
“As Luka said … he expected to spend his career in Dallas. He had been in the process of purchasing a home in the area for himself and his family,” his business manager Lara Beth Seager said.
The price and location of Doncic’s residential deal was not disclosed. He already owns a four-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion in Preston Hollow. The Dallas Central Appraisal District assigned it a taxable value of $3.9 million last year.
Doncic’s home was burglarized in December, resulting in the theft of $30,000 worth of jewelry.
Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris are also part of the trade to the Lakers, while the Mavericks received Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick. The deal concluded Doncic’s highly successful run in Dallas, where he earned five All-Star selections and helped the team reach the NBA Finals last year.
Doncic’s out-of-nowhere trade is just the latest shakeup within the team, and future real estate development is a big part of it.
The owners of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation bought the team from Mark Cuban in late 2023, and NBA veteran Rick Welts took over as the team’s CEO a month ago. Welts previously led the Golden State Warriors through a significant transformation, including overseeing the development of the $1.4 billion Chase Center.
His hiring aligned with the ownership’s plans to develop an arena, as the team’s lease at the American Airlines Center expires in 2031. Co-owner Patrick Dumont has proposed a casino resort in partnership with the Sands.
Though gambling is illegal in Texas, the team’s ownership has been campaigning for legalization via TV ads, and it donated heavily to the political campaigns of moderate Republican leaders of the Texas House of Representatives. The Texas Legislature could vote on legalized gambling this session, which would require a statewide voter referendum for approval.
The Adelson family, owners of Las Vegas Sands, purchased 108 acres in Irving last year, potentially for a stadium development.
Meanwhile, buying a luxury home in Los Angeles could be challenging as the city recovers from devastating wildfires.
— Andrew Terrell
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