The Los Angeles Lakers are well on their way to making the playoffs, avoiding the Play-In Tournament, and competing at the highest level. Los Angeles is 30-19, sitting just 1.0 game back of the No. 4 seed and a manageable 4.0 games behind the No. 2 seed.
Just when it seemed as though it couldn't get any better for the purple and gold, the arrival of Luka Doncic created an entirely new level of excitement.
Los Angeles acquired Doncic in a blockbuster trade that sent former franchise player Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. The dust seems to have finally settled after days of widespread disbelief, with all eyes turning to the Lakers' schedule to figure out when the All-NBA mainstay might make his debut.
Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed that Doncic is likely to make his team debut on Monday, Feb. 10 against the Utah Jazz.
"It went well," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the scrimmage before they beat the Golden State Warriors 120-112. "I think [his first game will be] probably, more likely, Monday. Again, no commitment made or anything, but probably trending more towards Monday."
Another game will pass between now and then, but the highly-anticipated debut of the Lakers' new franchise player is almost here.
Luka Doncic likely to debut on Monday, Feb. 10 against Utah Jazz
Doncic is currently recovering from a left calf injury that's kept him off the court since Christmas Day. Los Angeles is being understandably cautious with how they handle the issue, seemingly targeting a winnable game that will follow roughly a week of practicing with his new teammates.
Whenever it is that Doncic makes his Lakers debut, it's certain to be one of the biggest moments of the 2024-25 season—if not recent NBA history.
Doncic arrives in Los Angeles as one of the best and most accomplished players in the Association. At just 25 years of age, he's already earned five All-NBA First Team nods, which puts him one ahead of Stephen Curry and one behind Nikola Jokic.
That's all the perspective needed for how highly regarded Doncic is as a player, but the value he's due to bring to the Lakers goes beyond the awards he's procured.
Doncic currently ranks No. 3 in NBA history in career points per game and No. 12 in assists per contest. He cemented his status as one of the most explosive scorers of all time in 2023-24, when he won the scoring title with an average of 33.9 points per game on .487/.382/.786 shooting.
It was Doncic's second season producing at least 32.0 points per contest, which trails only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Elgin Baylor for the most in NBA history.
In addition to being a dominant scorer, Doncic is a dynamic playmaker and a proven postseason performer. He led the Mavericks to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and 2024 NBA Finals, and averaged 9.8 assists per game during the 2023-24 regular season.
Come Monday, Feb. 10, the Lakers may get their highly-anticipated first look at how Doncic's all-time talent will translate to the purple and gold.