WME Sports talent agency has signed Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and will represent the two-time All-Star in all areas, as the agency focuses on expanding his business portfolio. Dončić is represented on the court by Bill Duffy and Quique Villalobos at BDA Sports Management.
“I’m excited,” Dončić said. “WME Sports has so much to offer, and I know they’re the perfect partner to help me achieve all of my goals off the court.”
Dončić, a 2018 first-round draft pick from Slovenia, signed a $207 million contract extension with Dallas this offseason—the largest guaranteed rookie extension in NBA history. The five-year deal starts with the 2022-23 season and includes a player option in the final year. Two first-team All-NBA nods made Dončić the first player eligible for the rookie max extension.
The 22-year-old star has partnerships with brands including Nike’s Jordan, NBA2K (Dončić is a 2022 cover athlete for the popular video game), collectibles company Panini and sports nutrition product maker Biosteel. Dončić and his businesses are managed by Lara Beth Seager, who will continue in the same capacity and oversee The Luka Dončić Foundation, which launched this summer. The foundation funds children’s medical care and other initiatives related to youth health.
Dončić’s reps are recent partners themselves. In December 2020, Endeavor, the parent company of WME Sports, acquired a stake in BDA Sports, which brought Duffy into the fold as an adviser for WME. Duffy continues to run BDA as its chairman and CEO. The agency represents more than 100 NBA, WNBA and international active and retired basketball athletes.
Other players represented by both BDA (on-court) and WME Sports (off-court) include the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu and young NBA talent, including the Knicks’ RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes, the 2021 first-round draft pick of the Toronto Raptors.
WME Sports also recently signed Masai Ujiri, the GM of the Raptors’ 2019 championship team, who now serves as the organization’s vice chairman and president. The agency also represents Kevin Durant, Candace Parker, Kawhi Leonard and others, and has recently jumped into college endorsement representation. UCLA’s Johnny Juzang and UNC guard Deja Kelly were among the agency’s first NIL signings.
