Sources: Mavs’ Doncic near Jordan Brand deal

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is on the verge of signing a shoe deal with Jordan Brand, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.

“It’s all but official,” a source said.

Doncic’s contract with Jordan is expected to be a five-year deal, sources said. It will not begin as a signature deal, according to sources, but Doncic can earn a signature deal through bonus clauses such as winning MVP or Finals MVP.

Sources said that Doncic will likely have player-exclusive models — special edition colorways on which he has design input — available to him by February.

Doncic, who has emerged as an MVP candidate as a 20-year-old, has been a sneaker free agent since his Nike deal that he signed while playing with Real Madrid expired in September. Nike, the parent company of Jordan Brand, had a 180-day window to match other offers, and sources said other brands were hopeful that he would wait out that window before agreeing to a deal.

Puma and Under Armour had major interest in Doncic, sources said. He wore Stephen Curry’s signature Under Armours twice in games and practiced and warmed up in Pumas, but Doncic has primarily played in Nike or Jordans.

Sources said Under Armour never made an official offer, and Puma shied away from being aggressive with their offer due to Nike’s match clause.

Doncic, who will be sidelined by a sprained right ankle until after Christmas, has been exclusively wearing Jordans of late. He has played in the Jordan Diamond Lows and warmed up in Air Jordan 34s. He also frequently wears vintage Jordans off the court.

Doncic will be the second major NBA signing for Jordan Brand this year. No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson signed a seven-year, $75 million deal this summer — the richest shoe deal ever for a rookie.

The Athletic first reported that Doncic was close to signing a deal with Jordan Brand.