The game will be the first against Doncic and the Lakers since his emotional return to American Airlines Center on April 9. The Mavericks and Lakers have recently become one of the NBA’s marquee matchups since Doncic was stunningly traded on Feb. 1 in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.

There was a lot of criticism circling the Dallas Mavericks after they traded franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. Expect another round of opinions about the big swap during the preseason when the Mavericks and Lakers meet at Las Vegas on Oct.

With the NBA Finals set to begin later this week, the Los Angeles Lakers are already looking ahead to the 2025-26 season.