A new era of basketball in Rome is beginning to take shape. BC Roma SPQR, the ambitious venture of Luka Dončić and former Dallas Mavericks GM, Donnie Nelson, has unveiled the roster with which it will make its debut in the new season.

At the helm of the team is Alessandro Magro, who is tasked with building a competitive squad from a roster featuring several well-known names in European basketball.

A key figure on the perimeter will be Nico Manion. The Italian international is essentially the first major piece of the new team’s foundation, having been acquired from Armani Milan with the expectation that he will play a leading role in Rome.

Joining him in the backcourt are Corey Davis, Gerald Ayayi, Eric Stevenson, and Michael Iuzolino, while the forward positions are filled by Trentin Flowers, Arturs Strautins, and Janis Ozebe.

At center, Roma has Paul Watson and Andrea Metzanote, while at the “5” position there are three different options: Jesse Edwards, Marko Simonović, and Giovanni Emegiu.

A project with ambitions beyond Italy

BC Roma SPQR wasn’t created simply to bring a team back to the highest level of Italian basketball. The project has been set up with much greater ambitions, with Donnie Nelson and Luka Dončić as its key figures.

The team was formed following the acquisition of the rights to Vanoli Cremona, which was relocated to Rome, paving the way for the creation of a new club in the capital. Roma will compete in Serie A as well as the EuroCup during the 2026–27 season.

The grand vision, however, lies even further ahead. Club officials have already expressed interest in the future NBA Europe, with Rome considered one of the cities that could host a team in the NBA’s new European venture.

Thus, the new Roma is not just another newly formed team. It is a project that aims to put Italy’s capital back on the map of European basketball, with Dončić’s presence lending international prestige and Nelson taking charge of building a franchise that aspires to grow in the coming years.

*photo source: AP