The Real Estate Angle of That Luka Dončić Trade
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As a lifelong Dallas Mavericks fan, I don’t want to write this story. Honestly don’t want to think about it since the bomb dropped Saturday night that Dallas’ golden 77 was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, but Candy rightfully pointed out the real estate angle of Luka Dončić’s Dallas home, so here we are.
I’m talking of course about the trade heard around the world: the Dallas Mavericks traded NBA All-Star and future Hall-of-Famer Luka Dončić to the LA Lakers for veteran center Anthony Davis and not nearly enough else. While we don’t know whether the 24-year-old basketball superstar is putting his Preston Hollow home on the market yet, we do know he’ll be looking for real estate in Southern Cali soon.
Oh and record scratch as of noon Monday — One sports broadcaster is reporting that Luka had just closed on a $15 million home! More details to follow.
But back to this house. Luka had great taste in homes, as evidenced by the stunning 1984-built home he purchased in June 2020. While we were all coming out of our Covid-19 home confinement (the first time), the 21-year-old Luka fell in love with this Preston Hollow home with sleek lines, oversized walls of glass, and white NorthPark Center brick.
When the NBA Rookie of the Year bought it, the 5,225-square-foot modern showplace was roomy for the then-single Slovenian; Now, it’s home to his long-time girlfriend/fiance and their young daughter. Nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac, it sits on not quite an acre with a four-car garage and gated driveway parking, and is about a five-minute drive to his boss Mark Cuban’s house on Deloache Avenue.
Luka Doncic’s Dallas Home
The late Dallas architect Hardy McCullah built this Dallas modernist house for himself in 1984. The home gained an equally talented and creative caretaker, John Huffman, owner of JH Design + Build, who completed a stunning remodel and expansion that took it to another level.
Bathed in white maple flooring and what could be museum finish walls, the soft contemporary home features four bedrooms and four and a half baths set over one and a half stories.
According to the Dallas Central Appraisal District public records, it is valued at $3.875 million.
Back to the Trade
This Mavs trade story also has a commercial real estate angle.
As you’ll recall in December 2023, Mark Cuban sold a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to the Dumont and Adelson families, who own the global casino and resort company Las Vegas Sands Corp. Although 2023 reports indicated that Cuban retained control over basketball operations, the extent of his authority remains unclear — especially since both he and head coach Jason Kidd were unaware of the trade before GM Nico Harrison announced it Saturday night.
When the Adelson family bought the Mavs, some theorized their influence in Texas could lead to commercial resort casinos being legalized — something Cuban has long supported. The proclaimed “Mavs Fan for Life” has previously said that if casinos were legalized, he’d partner with Las Vegas Sands to build a resort-style casino in Dallas. (He also said he’d divorce his wife before he’d trade Luka.)
Las Vegas Land Ownership in Irving
In fact, before they purchased the team, in July 2023, the Adelsons via Village Walk RE 2 LLC purchased approximately 260 acres in Irving, near the former Texas Stadium site for a potential casino resort. Though MLS shows the property was last listed and sold as far back as 2002, the property at 2615 Spur 482 appears in foreclosure records as changing hands in October 2020 — something I don’t think we knew or noticed before.
The buyer was Village Walk RE 2 of 5420 S. Durango Dr. in Las Vegas, the same as the corporate address for Sands, tax records show. Village Walk also owns several more adjacent lots, including floodplains along the Trinity River.
Though casino gambling remains illegal in Texas, and past efforts to legalize it have failed in the state legislature, Las Vegas Sands has spent millions running ads and lobbying Texas lawmakers in recent years to change that. But it seems state legislators have recently double downed (sorry) on their efforts to thwart the legalization of casinos in Texas, so it’s unknown how the cards will fall (sorry again).
Casinos aside, I wish the best for Luka. His class act “Dear Dallas” letter is crinkled and folded away into an old Adidas shoebox I have tucked under the bed. I couldn’t afford Jordans. And like I do for all my ex-boyfriends, co-workers, and the half-dozen variations of my name, I have my Google Alerts set for Luka Doncic Dallas home to hit the market. When it does, I’ll show you the amazing before-and-after transformation of his home interior, outdoor privacy shrubs, and car collection. Until then, I’ll do the healthy thing and slowly thumb his Instagram, lingering just a second longer on those baby blue eyes, and wonder if he’s happy.
More Dallas Mavericks Homes
Whether by trade or by attrition, here at CandysDirt.com we’ve often provided the scoop for Dallas celebrity homes, particularly other Dallas Mavericks’ homes as they’ve departed our fair city. Until Luka’s home hits the market, here’s a blast from the past:
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Nice article. I sure thought you were going to write how you see this trade in comparison to a pocket listing that exchange owners. Similar to being in the same neighborhood, just a street over.
You’re absolutely right and you’re brilliant for thinking of it. Wheels turning.
Mavs will be relocated to Las Vegas.
No superstar will ever come to Dallas after this sham
That would be the end of Dallas having a basketball team, at least for the men. No exceptions for me. I do wished Mark (tho’ I respect his decision) had stayed on as full owner of the team. If he had I don’t believe this would be a conversation.