Mavericks Unveil Luka Doncic 'Thank You' Shirts Ahead of Dallas Return

The Dallas Mavericks want to show love for Luka Doncic ahead of his big return on Wednesday ... making shirts to share their appreciation for his time with the organization -- despite shipping him off to Los Angeles in a mind-boggling trade earlier this season.

The team revealed the fan giveaway hours before tipoff against the Lakers ... which read "Hvala za vse" -- Slovenian for "Thanks for everything."

The Mavs also plan to honor Luka with a tribute video at some point in the evening.

It's rather weird ... as it's the Mavs' own fault the five-time All-NBA selection is no longer with the team -- a move that has supporters still fuming beyond belief and calling for general manager Nico Harrison's job.

Luka admitted he didn't envision himself leaving Dallas ... and while the Mavs have tried to justify trading one of the best players in the league, it's not making much sense to fans.

It's no shade to Anthony Davis, who came from the Purple and Gold as a result of the transaction ... but Luka was clearly "the guy" in Dallas and was expected to be around for years to come before Harrison pulled the plug on the relationship.

The Mavs have certainly struggled after trading Luka -- they're currently 10th in the Western Conference standings and are below .500.

The Lakers, meanwhile, are playoff-bound and are looking to make a serious postseason run.