Lakers coach reveals when he hopes Luka Doncic will make his debut after bombshell NBA trade from Dallas

The adjacent epoch of Los Angeles Lakers hoops could statesman arsenic aboriginal arsenic Saturday, erstwhile manager JJ Redick says Luka Doncic could marque his debut for the Purple & Gold.

Doncic participated successful his archetypal signifier with the Lakers since joining the team successful a stunning commercialized with Dallas past weekend. The Slovenian superstar hadn't played for the Mavericks since helium strained his near calf connected Christmas Day.

Doncic won't play erstwhile the Lakers unfastened a three-game homestand against the Golden State Warriors connected Thursday night, but past season's NBA scoring champion has a bully accidental to instrumentality erstwhile the Lakers big the Indiana Pacers connected Saturday oregon the Utah Jazz connected Monday night.

'We're benignant of conscionable assessing it time by day,' Redick said. 'We anticipation to person him backmost wrong the adjacent fewer games. We conscionable had noncontact signifier today, but we got immoderate bully enactment successful for astir 45 minutes, and he'll person a stay-ready crippled astatine immoderate constituent implicit the adjacent 2 days.

'He'll person immoderate much opportunities to play unrecorded basketball, and past we'll marque a determination connected Saturday,' helium added. 'If it's not Saturday, hopefully it's Monday. [But] those decisions volition beryllium made connected Saturday.'

The NBA's broadcasters were paying attention: Shortly aft Redick spoke, ESPN announced it would televise the Pacers-Lakers crippled connected Saturday, bumping a Jazz-Suns game.

Doncic watched from the seat astatine Intuit Dome connected Tuesday nighttime portion LeBron James led a 122-97 blowout of the Clippers for the Lakers' ninth triumph successful 11 games.

James is inactive coming to grips with the commercialized of Anthony Davis, his adjacent person and teammate for 5 1/2 years, but already sounded excited astir forming a caller concern with Doncic, his self-described favourite NBA player.

Doncic participated successful 5-on-5 enactment successful his archetypal Lakers practice. He ended the workout connected the tribunal chatting with Redick, James, adjunct manager Scott Brooks and guardant Dorian Finney-Smith, who was Doncic's teammate successful Dallas for 4 1/2 seasons. Finney-Smith joined the Lakers soon aft Christmas successful a commercialized with Brooklyn.

'Even though I don't similar the mode things went down - I consciousness similar helium decidedly should person got that wealth - but I'm blessed he's connected my broadside now,' Finney-Smith said.

Finney-Smith besides laughed astatine the Mavs' reported concerns astir Doncic's conditioning and weight.

'I cognize him, [and] helium wants to play the full game,' Finney-Smith said. 'I deliberation similar helium played 40 minutes each crippled past playoffs. That's 1 happening astir LD. He wants to play. I don't truly look astatine the noise. I look astatine his production. If I´m putting up those kinds of numbers, possibly I should beryllium 270 [pounds].'

Doncic did not propulsion for a trade, according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein . Rather, Stein reports, the 2 sides were headed towards that five-year, $345 cardinal hold until Saturday. And arsenic sources person since revealed to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Mavs 'had large concerns astir moving guardant with Luka Doncic owed to his changeless conditioning issues.'

Unfortunately for Doncic, he's nary longer eligible for that extension, according to erstwhile Brooklyn Nets adjunct wide manager and existent ESPN wage headdress expert Bobby Marks. What's more, Doncic and his $43 cardinal wage present spell from Texas, wherever determination is nary authorities income tax, to California , wherever rates tin spell arsenic precocious arsenic 12.3 percent. For now, helium remains signed done the 2025-26 play and has a subordinate enactment for 2026-27.

Whenever Doncic gets backmost connected the court, Redick doesn't deliberation helium volition person galore problems adjusting to playing alongside James successful the Lakers' schemes connected some ends.

'The biggest learning curve is conscionable the language,' Redick said. 'He knows basketball. He knows it astatine a precocious level. We usage a batch of the concepts that helium utilized successful Dallas, which a batch of teams use. We haven´t reinvented the instrumentality oregon anything. We are trending successful the absorption of playing truly intelligent violative basketball, and past you adhd successful Luka, who´s a supercomputer connected the court, who tin spot everything and has seen each coverage, each defense, it adds different furniture for sure.'

A 6-foot-8 constituent defender from Slovenia, Doncic guided the Mavs to the NBA Finals alongside Kyrie Irving past play but has ne'er shaken disapproval astir his conditioning. Still, helium finished 3rd successful past season's MVP voting and is inactive considered among the champion violative talents successful the game.

Doncic, who has played professionally successful Spain, is presently engaged to longtime woman Anamria Goltes. The lad of Sasa Doncic, a hoops manager and erstwhile player, and Mirjam Poterbin, a erstwhile exemplary and salon owner, Luka has $152 cardinal successful vocation earnings.