Following the Dallas Mavericks' stunning blockbuster trade to acquire five-time All-Star Luka Doncic that shook the NBA to its very core, early reports indicated that the Slovenian superstar would be targeting a game sometime in the week following the trade for his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN seemed to drop a major hint about which game that would be. The network flexed the Phoenix Suns-Utah Jazz game it was scheduled to televise on Friday in favor of the Lakers' Saturday game vs. the Indiana Pacers, leading many to believe that Doncic would take the court for his L.A. debut on Saturday.
But Doncic seems to have a new target date in mind. The 25-year-old is seeking to make his Lakers debut on Monday, Feb. 10 against the Jazz, sources told NBA insider Marc Stein.
Luka Dončić is targeting Monday against Utah for his Lakers debut, @TheSteinLine has learned.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 6, 2025
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.
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As Stein notes, Doncic was able to return to 5-on-5 action in Lakers practice this week, and reportedly handled the ramp-up in activity well. He'd not played for the Mavs since the team's Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a left calf strain.
In 22 contests this season, Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Luka Doncic Sets Target Date to Make Lakers Debut After Stunning Trade.
