With the NBA trade deadline officially over, the Los Angeles Lakers have to be the clear-cut winners after their blockbuster deal to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers’ deal for Doncic caused a massive uproar in league circles as the 25-year-old superstar was never expected to be available in trade talks. However, vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka took advantage of the Mavericks’ desire to part ways with Doncic and set the franchise up to succeed for years to come.
Doncic arrived earlier this week in Los Angeles, but is not ready to hit the floor yet as he recovers from a calf injury he suffered back in December. Head coach JJ Redick and Pelinka both noted Doncic is considered day-to-day meaning that he should make his Lakers debut soon.
The early expectation was Doncic would suit up on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers as ESPN scheduled to air the game, but it appears the star guard is aiming for Monday against the Utah Jazz instead, via NBA insider Marc Stein:
Luka Dončić is targeting Monday against Utah for his Lakers debut, @TheSteinLine has learned.
He returned to 5-on-5 play in practice this week and is said to be progressing well in his ramp up from his left calf strain on Christmas.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/IIIlAloJCf pic.twitter.com/6yLu7Q1dKz
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 6, 2025
Redick was noncommittal when he spoke about it before Thursday night’s game although he made it seems like a Monday debut for Doncic was likely as well.
“It went well,” Redick said of Doncic’s recent 5-on-5 workout. “I think probably more likely Monday. We have no commitment made on anything, but probably trending more towards Monday. No setbacks. He looked good yesterday. Got another workout in today, got a lift in today so all is well. All is positive and hopefully we get the word at some point in the next few days that he is going to play. We all wanna see him in a Laker uniform.”
While it’s disappointing for fans to likely have to wait a couple of extra days to watch Doncic’s debut in the purple and gold, his overall health is the most important thing. Doncic has a history of nagging lower-leg injuries, so making sure he’s 100 percent ready to go is the smartest route.
The excitement within the organization is palpable, though, as Doncic transforms L.A. into a legitimate title contender alongside LeBron James. Even before the trade was finalized, the Lakers had been finding their groove on both ends of the floor so things figure to get even better once Doncic is available.
Overall, the team is in a much better spot to compete now than they were a week ago and it’ll exciting to see how Doncic fits in with the current group.
Luka Doncic gave preference on center before Mark Williams trade
After trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, L.A. had a clear need for a center. The Lakers addressed the need in a big way as they made another deal to acquire Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets.
Prior to the deal, Luka Doncic gave his preference for what kind of center he’d like to play with and now he gets a real lob threat and rim runner to work with.
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