The Dallas Mavericks cannot simply undo the Luka Doncic trade.
But if the question is whether they could ever get Doncic back, the answer is no longer pure fantasy. It is complicated, unlikely and years away, but there is a path.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn raised that possibility in a column about the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster construction around Doncic. Quinn’s argument was not that Doncic is already looking for the exit. It was that the Lakers may have spent heavily on an incomplete roster, creating a future risk if Los Angeles cannot convince Doncic it has a championship-level plan.
That matters to Dallas because Doncic’s next major contract decision can arrive in 2028.
Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers in 2025, but the structure of the deal gives him a player option in 2028. ESPN reported at the time that Doncic could opt out that summer and become eligible for a projected five-year, $417 million contract.
That is the window Mavericks fans should circle. Not now. Not next season. 2028.
Luka Doncic Would Have to Put 2028 in Play
The first step is the simplest and hardest: Doncic would have to make himself available.
The Lakers still have every advantage. They have Doncic under contract, the Los Angeles market and the next two seasons to prove their plan works. They also made a major move for Walker Kessler, giving Doncic the type of rim-running, defensive center he has often needed.
But Los Angeles paid a major price to do it. The Lakers sent the Utah Jazz unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus pick swaps in 2028 and 2030, as part of the Kessler sign-and-trade, according to Reuters.
If Kessler, Austin Reaves and the rest of the supporting cast are not enough to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and the rest of the West, Doncic’s 2028 option becomes more than a contractual detail. It becomes leverage.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 31: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Dallas Would Need Cooper Flagg to Become the Pitch
The Mavericks’ best chance at a Doncic reunion is not nostalgia. It is Cooper Flagg.
Quinn pointed to Flagg as the most important basketball reason Dallas could eventually become interesting again. A reunion would only make sense if the Mavericks can offer Doncic a better basketball argument than the Lakers.
Flagg gives Dallas the outline of one.
If Flagg develops into a franchise-level forward, the Mavericks could sell Doncic on a younger co-star, a cleaner timeline and a roster with more flexibility than the Lakers may have by 2028. The pitch would not be, “Come home because fans miss you.” It would have to be, “Come back because this is the better way to win.”
Mavericks Must Preserve a Real Path
Dallas also cannot spend the next two years boxing itself in.
The Mavericks would need to keep enough flexibility to make a 2028 pursuit possible, whether that means cap room, sign-and-trade paths, matching salary or tradable contracts. The exact mechanics would depend on the cap, Doncic’s choice and how both rosters look by then.
The harder part is trust.
Doncic’s exit from Dallas was one of the most stunning trades in NBA history. Quinn noted that some key figures from the decision are gone, including former general manager Nico Harrison and former coach Jason Kidd. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont remains, and that relationship would matter.
A Doncic return would require the Lakers to stumble, Flagg to rise, Dallas to stay flexible and old wounds to heal.
That is a long list.
But it is still a list, not a fantasy.
Dallas Mavericks Could Get Luka Doncic Back After Lakers Warning