The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the world early on Sunday morning when they pulled off a shocking blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic that sent star center Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. And now that Doncic is headed to Los Angeles, the team has gotten a big update on his injury status and when he could end up making his debut for his new team.
Doncic suffered a calf strain in the Mavericks Christmas day loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he has not taken the court since then. While it initially seemed like he was targeting a return on Feb. 8, Doncic is now aiming to make his debut for L.A. at some point before the All-Star break, with their final game before the break falling on Wednesday, Feb. 12 against the Utah Jazz.
“Doncic has not played since straining his calf again on Christmas Day but has been targeting a return before the All-Star break later this month,” Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported in the wake of this deal.
Lakers hoping to get Luka Doncic on the floor as soon as possible





Given the investment the Lakers just made in Doncic, their hope is obviously going to be that he plays as much as possible for them for however long he is with the team. That starts with getting healthy from this calf injury, which was reportedly one the big reasons (along with his sometimes lackluster conditioning) that the Mavs felt comfortable making this trade.
Whether or not Doncic will be able to make his debut for Los Angeles over the next 10 days remains to be seen, but there is optimism that we could see him pair up with LeBron James sooner than expected. It will be worth keeping tabs on Doncic's injury status over the next couple of days, as the Lakers and their fans will be eager to see him take the floor for his new team.