Luka Dončić's First Game With the Lakers Could Come Before the All-Star Break

The Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers was perhaps one of the most shocking moves in the history of the NBA. The 25-year-old guard is widely considered to be one of the best players in the league, and he has plenty of runway left in his career.

Following the news that Luka was headed to Los Angeles, many naturally wanted to know when he might join the team's lineup. Here's what we know about what the timeline is for Luka's Laker debut.

If Luka wasn't injured, his debut with the team could come just days after he lands in Los Angeles. However, Luka has already been sitting out for the Mavericks because he had a calf strain that has kept him off the court for more than a month.

But according to reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania, Luka is actually expected to make his Lakers debut sooner than we might have anticipated.

"Luka Dončić has been returning to basketball activities since that calf injury that he had, the calf strain," Charania said. "He's had multiple calf strains over the last several years. He's had two calf injuries just this year. But he has returned to practice and, from what I'm told, the goal is for him to make his Lakers debut before the All-Star break."

The All-Star break is expected to start on Feb. 16, so Luka could be suiting up for the Lakers at some point in the next two weeks.

According to reporting that has emerged since the trade happened, Maverick's general manager Nico Harrison traded Luka over concerns about his conditioning, and believe that Anthony Davis, who the Mavericks received in return for Luka, will provide the defensive presence they need to win now.

The trade stunned players, coaches, and managers across the league.

"If you have a 25-year-old, who you can get under contract for five years at $350 million who's been first-team All-NBA five times, that's typically in the history of the NBA a no-brainer situation. There's not a stress there," ESPN's BrianWindhorst explained. "What McMahon is reporting in talking to the Mavericks tonight is that they weren't sure that was a good investment. That is a stunning stunning statement."

The Lakers, meanwhile, have been handed the star they are likely to build their roster around for the next decade or more. Right now, though, their roster doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Anthony Davis was responsible for much of the team's interior defense, and they now have three players who handle the ball a lot in LeBron James, Luka, and Austin Reeves.

Given how little the Lakers were asked to give up in exchange for Luka, it made sense for them to take the kind of star player who could change their future. It's unclear, though, what it might mean for the rest of the team's season, and whether the Lakers might make any additional moves before the trade deadline.