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The Marquee · Morning

Doncic's Rest Clock Runs Out as Nuggets Visit for the Finale

Luka is day-to-day with rest as the issue, five days before the Lakers open against Golden State.

Luka DoncicLast season: 33.5 pts, 7.7 reb, 8.3 ast on 36.6% from three in 64 games.
By the Lakers Nightly Desk · Friday, October 16

Doncic's status flipped Friday from clean to day-to-day, the issue listed as rest, with the Nuggets in town for the last preseason game before the Lakers open the regular season Oct. 21 against the Warriors. Around him the roster kept turning over: Jahmir Young signed Thursday and lasted one day on the roster, and a new trade report has the Lakers' name attached again.

Luka Doncic of the Lakers
Luka Doncic. Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Rest, Not Injury

Doncic's listing changed Friday morning, from nothing to day-to-day, the issue specified as rest rather than a body part. Denver visits at 0-0 with its own thin edges, Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones also day-to-day, and this is the last preseason look at either side before Los Angeles hosts Golden State on Oct. 21.

Camp Keeps Turning

Jahmir Young joined the roster Thursday alongside Niwa Tait-Jones, then left Friday, a one-day stay. Cole Swider was waived the same Thursday. None of the three will factor into the opener, but the churn shows a camp still settling who fills the rotation behind Reaves, Grimes and Kessler.

A Number, A Question

Payroll sits at $201.3 million, past the $200.4 million tax threshold, with thin draft capital left to work around it. A Hoops Rumors item citing Jake Fischer links the Lakers to trade chatter with Milwaukee, Memphis and Charlotte. Whether Doncic plays tonight is the smaller question; what those discussions produce, if anything, is the larger one.

Is Doncic playing tonight against the Nuggets?

He's listed day-to-day; the issue given is rest, and his availability was not confirmed as of Friday morning.

When do the Lakers open the regular season?

Oct. 21 at home against the Golden State Warriors, five days after tonight's preseason finale against Denver.

By the Lakers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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