Luka Dončić will play against the Suns! Smart is also set for his Lakers debut, while Reddick’s starting status for the opener remains uncertain.

On October 14th Beijing time, Lakers head coach Reddick confirmed that Dončić will appear in the preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns tomorrow (October 15th Beijing time).

Dončić had been absent for the Lakers’ initial three preseason games, where the team went 1-2. The 26-year-old star had recently played for Slovenia in the European Championship, taking on a demanding month-long schedule, so the Lakers aimed to manage his workload carefully.

After the Suns game, the Lakers have two more preseason matches against the Mavericks and Kings. Reddick stated that Dončić will participate in one of those two games. Since the game versus the Mavericks falls on the second night of back-to-back matches, it’s more likely he will play against the Kings.

Reddick said he will coordinate with Dončić’s fitness coach Barrio to decide his playing time, but the Lakers will take a cautious approach in the game against the Suns.

“I expect Dončić’s minutes to gradually increase from the first game to the second,” Reddick said. “The exact total time hasn’t been finalized yet; we’re still discussing with Javi and Dončić to find the best plan.”

When asked about how they plan to use Dončić tactically, Reddick replied with a straight face, “Just give him the ball.”

Reddick also revealed that Smart, who missed the first three preseason games due to Achilles tendinitis, will make his Lakers debut against the Suns; Reeves will also play in that game.

With just over a week remaining until the regular season opener against the Warriors,Reddick stated he still hasn’t finalized the team’s starting lineup.LeBron James will miss at least another two to three weeks due to right sciatic nerve pain and will be reassessed afterward.

“You definitely want to have your five best players on the court as much as possible, but you also need to maintain balance in each lineup,” Reddick said. “When analyzing rotations, we consider: who’s guarding whom? Who initiates the offense? Do we have enough shooting? So whether it’s the starting five or other rotations, these factors are taken into account.”

“We’re still working on finalizing the lineup. Obviously, LeBron’s early-season absence complicates things somewhat. But we have a week left to figure it out, and I believe the answers will become clearer.”