After completing a blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA, pairing NBA superstar Luka Dončić with LeBron James. At the same time, four-time All-NBA first-team center/power forward Anthony Davis went to Dallas.
The Lakers now have a clear vision for life after James retires. How old is Dončić, and when will the Lakers’ latest addition make his debut in purple and gold?
How Old Is Luka Dončić?
Dončić is 25 years old. He was born on February 28, 1999, and has been playing professionally overseas in Spain since he was 16. He might not be that old in terms of years, but in basketball years, he has some mileage on him. He started to play in the NBA at the age of 19 when he was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks but traded on draft night to the Dallas Mavericks.
Dončić started playing as a pro when he signed with Real Madrid at the age of 16. He played there until he was 18 and old enough to enter the NBA draft. He was selected third overall by the Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft and traded on draft night to the Mavericks, where he led them to the Western Conference championship last season.
What Is Dončić’s Injury?
Before he got unceremoniously shipped off to Los Angeles, Dončić had been nursing a calf injury he suffered on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The lengthy layoff has made him ineligible for any awards this year. Nevertheless, as he said in his introductory press conference, the five-time All-Star is looking to come back fully healthy this time.
“For the first time, I took my time. Get it to heal 100%. Other times, I think I just wanted to get back on the court and play basketball and not really be healthy 100%. This time, I just took my time, which was a normal amount of time, to get back to 100%.”
Similar calf issues have persisted throughout Dončić’s career, with the former Dallas Mavericks guard missing time in the preseason and even during the 2022 NBA playoffs due to injury concerns. Yet, there is some good news for Lakers fans. His time on the shelf is nearing its end.
When Is Dončić Returning?
It has been a long saga, but it looks like Dončić is all set to make his official debut as a Laker against the Utah Jazz.
After reports suggesting he could be back on Saturday (Feb. 8) against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers exercised caution in his recovery process. They gave him an extra few days to heal. With the disaster in Dallas that was Anthony Davis’ debut, LA’s decision looks smarter by the minute.
During the same press conference where Dončić confirmed that he would take his time to recover fully, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka detailed the timeline for his newest acquisition’s return.
“We have 5-on-5 scheduled tomorrow for Luka, and we’re going to take it one day at a time just to make sure that the calf injury is at a good and safe place. So I would truly say, at this point, he’s day-to-day. We’re going to take it one step at a time. But if all those days go well and Luka feels good and confident, he’ll be in a game soon.”
Since then, the Lakers have played three more games, one against their in-city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the other against the in-state Golden State Warriors, before squaring off against the Pacers in what many predicted would be Dončić’s debut.
In fact, during the broadcast against the Clippers, sideline reporter Jared Greenberg mentioned that the expectation around the team was that Dončić’s debut could come against the Pacers.
ESPN even shifted games around to ensure they could air the historic moment. However, there was a slight shift in the timeline. Before the Lakers took the court against Golden State, head coach JJ Redick spoke about the Slovenian guard’s availability and how the 5-on-5 workout progressed.
“It went well,” Redick said. “I think probably more likely Monday, [Feb. 10]. We have no commitment made on anything, but probably trending more toward Monday. No setbacks. He looked good yesterday. [He] got another workout in today, got a lift in today so all is well.”
“All is positive, and hopefully, we get the word at some point in the next few days that he is going to play. We all wanna see him in a Laker uniform.”
The official injury report from Los Angeles ruled Dončić out for Saturday’s home game against Indiana. But now, as reputed Lakers reporter Marc Stein suggested, the organization believes that Monday, Feb. 10, against the Jazz might be the perfect date.
Redick gave the rest of the confirmation for both Dončić and James, who missed the Saturday game with ankle soreness.
“We’re not trying to hold guys out. Obviously, with Bron, just a little bit of increased soreness on that foot after the other night. And Luka is progressing well, but we’ll make that decision in real-time on Monday.”
