Luka Doncic has joined an ownership group that bought Italian club Vanoli Cremona and plans to move the team to Rome for the 2026-27 season, setting up one of the boldest ownership plays in European basketball this year.
Jeanie Buss gave the move an immediate boost on May 29, 2026, responding simply: “Love this!” That reaction followed Doncic’s first public comments on the project and helped turn a club purchase into a conversation far beyond Cremona.
Doncic said he had dreamed about owning a team in Europe for a long time, adding that Vanoli “has a great history” and that the group is ready “to take it to the next level in Rome.” He also said the ownership team has “an amazing group of partners” and believes they can do “something special for basketball in Italy and Europe.”
The ownership consortium is led by Donnie Nelson, with Valerio Bianchini and Rimantas Kaukėnas also included. The group has formally submitted a bid for the club to become Rome’s representative in the NBA’s proposed European league, while also preparing for the team to begin play in Italy’s top division, Lega Basket Serie A, in 2026-27. Rome has already been identified as one of the preferred host cities for the competition.
That is where the ambition meets the uncertainty. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this year that the NBA and FIBA are working together on NBA Europe, but the league has not launched yet. The plan could still take shape as early as 2027, with as many as 16 clubs, including 12 permanent franchises and four rotating qualifiers, leaving the Rome bid dependent on a project that remains on the drawing board.
For Doncic, the move connects his European basketball past to a new role in the sport’s future. He played for Real Madrid before entering the NBA in 2018 and won multiple championships there, giving him a direct link to the continent’s club game. The next test is whether Vanoli Cremona, under a Rome identity, gets a place in the league being designed around it.
