The Los Angeles Lakers made a stunning trade for Luka Doncic before the deadline. The 25-year-old is one of the best players in the world and just led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Nobody thought he was available, but Rob Pelinka did the impossible. Now, the Lakers are focused on building around their new superstar. Their move to add a center quickly backfired, but the future is a lot brighter in LA after acquiring number 77.
Doncic has not played since Christmas Day because of a calf injury. He has missed 22 straight games with his second calf issue this season. It eliminated him from award contention and broke his streak of being first-team All-NBA for five straight years, but Luka is nearing a return.
Does he face the Jazz on Monday night? ESPN worked to get a second straight Lakers game on their network anticipating Luka’s debut with his new franchise. Here is the latest.
What is Luka Doncic’s current injury status?
The 25-year-old superstar will make his Lakers debut on Feb. 10. He was officially listed as questionable with a left calf strain before being upgraded to probable after a morning workout. LeBron James was also upgraded from questionable to probable to active with ankle soreness. Both stars missed the Lakers’ last game on Saturday afternoon against the Indiana Pacers.
Timeline of Luka Doncic’s recovery
Marc Stein reported Luka is expected to play tonight. He has been doing 5-on-5 workouts since last week and should be ready to return. Doncic had a calf strain in the preseason and did not play until opening night. It caused a slow start to the season and added more nervousness about the latest injury.
Doncic has missed nearly seven weeks with this strain. Hopefully, that was enough time to put this injury behind him.
Is Luka Doncic likely to play against the Jazz?
The probable meant he was likely to play and head coach J.J. Redick confirmed it just over an hour before tipoff. The Lakers are giving away Luka t-shirts to fans, and LeBron was seen warming up in Luka shirt. Expect number 77 to shine in his first game with the Lakers on Monday evening.
It gives Doncic two games before the All-Star break to get acclimated with his new teammates. The Lakers have a favorable slate against three rebuilding teams. It could be the perfect opportunity for Luka to shine leading into a week off.
How the Lakers have performed since the Luka Doncic trade
The Lakers are undefeated since trading for Doncic. They have won five straight games overall and are just 0.5 behind the Rockets for fourth in the Western Conference. Luka plans on leading them on a deep playoff run, and the franchise is excelling as he nears his return.
The Los Angeles Lakers should dominate the rebuilding Utah Jazz on Monday night. Do not be surprised to see Luka Doncic absolutely go off in his first game with the franchise. He has waited weeks and will be fired up that the Mavericks gave up on him. This could be just the motivation number 77 needed to reach new heights. That is crazy to think about considering Luka is already a future Hall of Famer.
Fans should be excited. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN and will be a cannot miss event. Stay tuned for all the latest.