Dave McMenaminOct 13, 2025, 04:59 PM ET
- Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
- Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Luka Doncic will make his preseason debut when the Los Angeles Lakers play on the road Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, coach JJ Redick said.
Doncic sat out L.A.’s 1-2 start to the preseason, with the Lakers looking to lessen the 26-year-old star’s workload coming off his monthlong commitment playing for the Slovenian national team in EuroBasket.
After the Suns game, the Lakers finish out their six-game preseason slate with a game in Las Vegas against Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Wednesday and a home game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
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Redick said that Doncic would also play in either the Mavs or Kings game. It stands to reason that the Kings game would be more likely, considering the Mavs game falls on the second night of a back-to-back.
Redick said he will work with Doncic’s athletic trainer, Javy Barrio, to determine how much Doncic will play, but the Lakers will err on the side of caution in Phoenix.
“I would say there will most likely be a ramp-up from Game 1 to Game 2 in Luka’s minutes,” Redick said. “What that total number looks like, we’re still talking to Javy and Luka about what kind of makes sense.”
When asked how he planned to use Doncic, Redick deadpanned: “Give him the ball.”
Marcus Smart, who has been out for the first three preseason games because of Achilles tendinopathy, also will make his Lakers debut in Phoenix, according to Redick. The coach added that Austin Reaves will also play against the Suns.
With opening night against the Golden State Warriors just more than a week away next Tuesday, Redick said he still has to figure out his starting lineup. LeBron James will be out at least another two to three weeks with sciatica on his right side before being reevaluated.
“You want to put your five best players on the court as much as possible. You also want to have balance with every lineup. When we do our substitution metrics: Who is going to guard? Who is going to create? Are we going to have enough shooting? So you’re doing that with every lineup you put out there, including the starting lineup,” Redick said.
“We’re still working through that, and obviously losing LeBron for the start of the year in some ways complicates things a little bit. So, we have a week to figure that out, and I think it will reveal itself to us.”
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