Slovenia Basketball Announces Luka Doncic Development After Scary Exit

Luka Doncic's trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in February marked one of the biggest and arguably most controversial deals in NBA history. The 2023-24 scoring champion was surprisingly sent to the Purple and Gold in a deal that landed the Dallas Mavericks Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick. This offseason, Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million deal with L.A.

With Doncic's commitment to L.A., the team is expected to build around him in the years to come. There are also high expectations for him for the upcoming 2025-26 season, which will be his first full year with the Lakers.

Luka Doncic Forced to Exit After Getting Hurt With Slovenia

In a concerning turn for the Lakers, however, Doncic was forced to exit a friendly game while suiting up for his native Slovenia in preparation for EuroBasket 2025.

Doncic played well in the first half of the friendly against Latvia on Saturday, recording 26 points and five assists. Unfortunately, he hurt his knee after colliding with a teammate, causing him to leave the game.

An update from NBA reporter Marc Stein revealed that Doncic's injury is a knee contusion and is not considered serious.

The Basketball Federation of Slovenia also made an announcement about Doncic's status on Sunday, confirming that the Lakers guard is not injured. He is expected to join the team as they prepare for another friendly, this time against Great Britain.

"After the match in Riga, the team will continue preparations for EuroBasket on Monday - on Tuesday we have a showdown with Great Britain in Arena Stožice," the federation wrote, as translated on Instagram.

"Captain Luka Dončić will also train with the team, who fortunately ended the match against Latvia without injury."