The team against which Luka Doncic could make his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers: this is the expected date

NBA fans are in shock after the Dallas Mavericks agreed to a blockbuster trade which will see star man Luka Doncic move to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. The Mavs will also get Max Christie as part of the deal, with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris joining the Slovenian in LA.

When will Luka Doncic move to the Lakers?

That the trade is happening at all came as a major surprise, with the fact it is taking place with immediate effect, right in the middle of the season, adding an extra element of bemusement.

The Mavericks are reported to have instigated the trade, with general manager Nico Harrison making what NBA insider Marc Stein has described as “the call to abruptly change the direction of the franchise”.

Why did the Mavericks trade Doncic to the Lakers?

Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks had “major concerns” about Doncic’s physical shape, with Dallas sources reportedly pointing to an apparent lack of discipline in his diet and conditioning as a key reason behind the former Real Madrid player’s injury problems.

Doncic only played in 22 of the Mavs’ 49 games in the 2024/25 season before the trade was announced, and hasn’t been on court since suffering a “delicate” calf injury in the Christmas Day defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers have, therefore, signed an injured player, although the expectation is that Doncic will be back on court before too much longer. No date has officially been confirmed, although ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon have both claimed he will most likely return to action just before the All-Star break.

When will Doncic make his Lakers debut? Against which team?

The 2025 All-Star Game, which Doncic hasn’t been selected for, will take place at Chase Center in San Francisco on February 16. If that prediction is correct, then the Slovenian will likely make his first appearance for the Lakers against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on February 12.

The Californians also face the Jazz at Crypto.com Arena in their previous game on February 10, so there appears to be a good chance Doncic’s debut will come against Will Hardy’s team.

If, for whatever reason, the Slovenian is given a few extra days to recover, he could debut for the Lakers against the Charlotte Hornets on February 19.

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