Lakers Slapped With Major Luka Doncic News

Lakers Slapped With Major Luka Doncic News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Los Angeles Lakers need Luka Doncic to get and stay in top shape ahead of his first full season with the organization.

However, it seems like he will once again add more mileage to his legs before the start of the season.

As expected, he was included in the 19-player list of the Slovenian national team about to play in the upcoming edition of EuroBasket.

Slovenia revealed a 19-man preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2025 featuring Luka Doncic 🇸🇮🏀

Full roster: https://t.co/2DLh3aH1iGpic.twitter.com/A4bnQvGwba

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) July 7, 2025

The final 12-player list will be revealed later in the offseason, but it's safe to assume that Doncic will be there from day one:

“We have a new demanding tournament ahead of us and started planning preparations accordingly, games and of course the selection of players early,” coach Aleksander Sekulic said.

The Slovenian federation also got Doncic reunited with former Dallas Maverick executive Don Nelson, who drafted him back in 2018:

“Becoming a part of Slovenian basketball is a great honor for me,” said Nelson. “Watching Luka lead the team to a bronze in Tokyo made me excited about the team’s potential. I hope to be part of the journey to Los Angeles 2028.”

The Slovenian national team will also include fellow NBAer Vlatko Cancar.

They will join the likes of Poland, France, Belgium, Israel, and Iceland in Group D of the tournament's preliminary round.

They will face off with Germany, Lithuania, Great Britain, and Serbia in preparation games from August 8 to 21, and the tournament will take place between August 28 and September 14.

Given all the injury and weight concerns surrounding Doncic, the Lakers will hope that he will use this as his offseason preparation to start the season in top shape.

Then again, there will also be a risk of injury and exhaustion for a player with a long history of being gassed out down the stretch. 

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.