Luka Dončić is part of an investor group aiming to purchase an Italian basketball team as a stepping stone to entering the newly planned NBA Europe league. The group is led by Donnie Nelson, former Dallas Mavericks general manager, who has reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Vanoli Basket Cremona in northern Italy.
Vanoli Basket currently holds a license to compete in Italy’s top professional league, Serie A. Acquiring this team’s franchise license is key to establishing a new squad in Rome, around 330 miles from Cremona. Under Serie A regulations, a franchise must wait two years to change its name, presenting initial structural requirements for the new ownership.
The NBA Europe league is an initiative by commissioner Adam Silver to create a pan-European basketball competition. Selected cities with licensed teams include Rome, Milan, London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Athens, and Istanbul. Silver envisions launching the league in September 2027.
The buy-in for NBA Europe franchises is expected to be substantial. Reports indicate that a London team license could cost over $1 billion. Rome represents a significant untapped market for top-division basketball, attracting investors with deep financial resources linked to Dončić and Nelson’s consortium.
Several notable figures are associated with the expansion of NBA Europe. Dirk Nowitzki was initially rumored to be involved but has been officially denied participation by his spokesman. Former Lithuanian basketball star Rimas Kaukenas is confirmed as part of the investor group with Dončić and Nelson. Tony Parker, who owns ASVEL Basket near Lyon, and Kevin Durant, who took a minority stake in Paris Saint-Germain via Arctos Capital, are other key players involved in similar ventures for the league.
NBA Europe ownership rules currently remain under development. However, team owners will not be allowed to hold more than 5 percent ownership in an NBA team in North America to prevent conflicts of interest. The league plans to coordinate with the players’ union to establish clear guidelines on ownership stakes for active players.
The league is expected to feature 12 licensed teams with guaranteed participation, along with four additional annual spots available through qualification. One qualification spot is proposed to be awarded to the FIBA Champions League winner, while the other three spots will be contested in FIBA-organized tournaments among top domestic teams. These qualifying events are slated to begin around June 2027.
Dončić’s background reflects the NBA’s strategic push to integrate European talent and markets. As a product of Real Madrid’s basketball academy and a former top draft pick acquired by Nelson in 2018, Dončić symbolizes the pathway NBA Europe seeks to strengthen. The league aims to provide a direct and competitive platform bridging European basketball and the NBA.
The investor group’s plan to transition Vanoli Basket’s license toward establishing the Rome franchise aligns with broader NBA ambitions to internationalize the sport and tap into Europe’s robust basketball fan base. NBA Europe could redefine competitive basketball dynamics on the continent while engaging global audiences and investors.
This venture represents a complex and capital-intensive effort to position Rome as an essential market in the new league structure. With support from prominent figures and institutional investors, the Dončić-backed group advances NBA Europe’s vision of a unified, high-profile basketball competition across major European cities.
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