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Lakers’ Luka Doncic will make his 2025-26 preseason debut on Tuesday evening
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated1 hour ago on October 14, 2025
The 2025 offseason was a full transformation for the Lakers’ Luka Doncic. After being criticized for his weight and diet, Doncic was committed to change ahead of 2025-26.
That’s exactly what Doncic was able to pull off this summer. His conditioning and diet were taken to another level. Luka Doncic is in his best shape since he entered the league as a rookie in 2018-19. The five-time all-star missed Los Angeles’ first three preseason games due to rest. On Tuesday, October 14, Luka Doncic will make his 2025-26 Lakers preseason debut vs. the Suns.
Luka Doncic will play his first Lakers’ preseason games on Tuesday night
🚨 Luka Doncic plans to play tomorrow, making his preseason debut against Phoenix
Via: @McTen pic.twitter.com/sQlp2tQ1wt
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) October 13, 2025
For their fourth preseason game in 2025-26, the Lakers are on the road Tuesday night to face the Suns. Los Angeles is 1-2 through three games. The team has been without Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Doncic was coming off a month-long commitment playing with Slovenia in EuroBasket. As a team, the Lakers were playing it cautiously with Doncic. They were not going to rush him back just to play in the preseason. However, the 26-year-old is healthy and is set to make his Lakers’ preseason debut vs. the Suns.
This is Luka’s first full season with the Lakers after the blockbuster trade in 2024-25. Head coach JJ Redick noted that Donic will play in two of the team’s final three preseason games. Los Angeles plays on 10/15 vs. the Mavs for a neutral site game and then on 10/17 at home vs. the Kings. Given the fact that Dallas has a back-to-back, chances are Doncic will not play on Wednesday.
BREAKING: Marcus Smart and Luka Doncic will make their preseason debuts on Tuesday against the Suns, per JJ Redick pic.twitter.com/EVZIVJKbvg
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 13, 2025
JJ Redick said there will be a “ramp up” in Doncic’s minutes for his first and second preseason games. The head coach noted that the team will work with Doncic’s trainer, Javy Barrio, to determine how much time Doncic will play. Along with Doncic, Marcus Smart will make his preseason debut for the Lakers on Tuesday evening.
Smart signed a two-year, $10.5 million deal with Los Angeles. He’s on the books for $5.3 million in 2025-26, and Smart has a $5.9 million player option in 2026-27. Marcus Smart missed the Lakers’ first three preseason games due to an Achilles tendinopathy. Opening night for the Lakers is Tuesday, October 21, at home vs. the Golden State Warriors. In their last seven seasons, the Lakers are 1-6 in their first game.
