When will Luka Doncic make his Lakers debut?

Two days later, the Luka Doncic trade still doesn't feel real. The Los Angeles Lakers actually found a way to acquire a player who has five All-NBA First Teams under his belt at just 25 years of age. Losing Anthony Davis hurts, but considering the lack of other pieces in the package headed Dallas' way, Lakers fans obviously love this trade for the team's present and future.

This trade doesn't feel real in large part because it came out of nowhere, but another main reason why it's still hard to comprehend is that Doncic has not suited up in purple and gold yet.

Doncic has been out since Christmas Day nursing a calf strain. Doncic's injury history and conditioning concerns played a massive role in Dallas' decision to go through with this trade. Obviously, that's going to have to be something Lakers fans keep their eye on.

Doncic has missed over a month due to this injury, but according to ESPN's Marc Spears, he could be back very soon.

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Lakers fans won't have to wait too long to watch Luka Doncic's debut

Spears is reporting that Doncic and the Lakers are targeting next week for his return from injury. There's a good chance he will make his Lakers debut either on Monday, Feb. 10 at Crypto.com Arena against the 11-36 Utah Jazz or on Wednesday, Feb. 12 against that same Jazz team on the road. If he's unable to debut against Utah, their following two games are a home contest against the 12-35 Charlotte Hornets and a road game against the 20-29 Portland Trail Blazers. Talk about a soft landing.

What's really interesting about Doncic's timetable to return is that he will almost certainly be making his Lakers debut after Thursday's trade deadline, giving the Lakers no games of Doncic in purple and gold before they must stop making trades.

Fortunately, it shouldn't be difficult for Rob Pelinka to figure out what comes next for Los Angeles. With Davis now in Dallas, the Lakers are in dire need of a rim-protecting center. Fortunately for them, the Mavericks inexplicably left the Lakers with several assets they could part with to fill that position of need.

Assuming they get a center and a healthy Doncic, this Lakers team figures to be as good as any in the Western Conference, even with several elite teams standing in their way. Doncic and LeBron James are as good of a dynamic duo as any, and if they get the right center, the supporting cast is solid as well.

Doncic carried a Mavericks team with less to offer to the NBA Finals last season, so the sky is the limit as to what can be accomplished in Hollywood. Lakers fans just have to hope he can stay on the court. Step one, though, is getting Doncic back on the court. Whether it's next Monday, Wednesday, or even Friday, Doncic's debut can't come soon enough for a rejuvenated fan base.