Luka Doncic’s Sudden Absence from Lakers’ Preseason Sparks Speculation—What’s Really Going On?

Luka Doncic won’t be gracing the court for the Lakers’ upcoming preseason matchups, a move that caught quite a few fans by surprise after Friday’s team shoot-around. The dynamic star is giving the legs a breather against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert and then again facing the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco this weekend. It’s not just a whim—L.A.’s performance squad and Luka have mapped out this strategy carefully, considering the heavy slate he carried with Slovenia in EuroBasket this summer. It’s a classic case of playing the long game as the regular season countdown ticks toward its October 21 launch at Crypto.com Arena. Meanwhile, several other key Lakers—like LeBron James and Marcus Smart—are also sitting these out due to their own injuries. With Luka admitting his offseason was a whirlwind, the “slow and steady” mantra seems like the smart play to keep him fresh for the marquee battles ahead. Curious about how this shapes the Lakers’ path forward? LEARN MORE.

Lakers star Luka Doncic will not play in the team’s two preseason games this weekend, the team announced after its shoot-around Friday.

Doncic will sit out against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert and against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night in San Francisco.

The Lakers said it was a collaborative decision made with L.A.’s performance team because of his time playing for the Slovenian national team in the EuroBasket tournament this summer.

The Lakers said the plan is to be smart with Doncic in the long term as he ramps up for the regular season that opens Oct. 21 against the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

LeBron James, Marcus Smart (achilles tendinopathy), Maxi Kleber (quad) and rookie Aduo Thiero (knee) also won’t play against the Suns.

Doncic played in his last game with Slovenia about a month ago, a game in which he scored 39 points but his squad was eliminated by Germany in the EuroBasket quarterfinals.

After practice Thursday, Doncic talked about easing his way into training camp while getting ready for the regular season after playing at peak level for Slovenia.

“Yeah, obviously probably take it a little bit slower than the usual,” Doncic said. “ I had a busy summer. I think month, month-and-a-half I was with national team. So, it was kind of a lot. But that got me ready for the preseason and obviously regular season. So, for me, I think it really helps.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.