![\"Luka](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2254993205-1-e1768254283579.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after being hit in the stomach area by Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) last in the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on January 9, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> will receive a much-needed offensive boost Saturday night following troubling injury news surrounding Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>.<\/p>\n Newly acquired guard Luke Kennard<\/a> is expected to make his Lakers debut in Saturday\u2019s ABC primetime matchup against the Golden State Warriors<\/a>, after clearing medical evaluations stemming from Thursday\u2019s trade deadline deal.<\/p>\n According to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha<\/a>, the team confirmed Kennard\u2019s availability following the completion of league-required medicals, officially opening the door for his first appearance in purple and gold.<\/p>\n Lakers Trade Deadline Move Brings NBA\u2019s Top 3-Point Shooter<\/p>\n Los Angeles acquired Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks<\/a> in exchange for veteran guard Gabe Vincent<\/a> and a 2032 second-round pick, according to ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania<\/a>.<\/p>\n The move addresses one of the Lakers\u2019 most glaring needs. Kennard enters the weekend leading the NBA<\/a> in three-point shooting at 49.7%, providing immediate spacing for a team ranked 23rd<\/a> in three-point attempts (34.1 per game) and 21st in percentage<\/a> (34.9%).<\/p>\n While Kennard does not fit the traditional 3-and-D mold Los Angeles explored at the deadline, his elite shooting efficiency offers a tactical counterbalance for a roster often starved for perimeter scoring consistency.<\/p>\n Mixed Reaction Follows Kennard Trade<\/p>\n The acquisition drew swift reaction across the league, including criticism from former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas, who questioned the Lakers\u2019 direction shortly after the trade was reported.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, I\u2019m just going to take matters into my own hands,\u201d Arenas said<\/a> on social media. \u201cEvery hooper that can still hoop, we\u2019re going to go down to Crypto Center and we\u2019re just going to go try out. What happened to the names? The names made the Lakers\u2026He was a Clipper before! [expletive] him!\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the backlash, the Lakers view Kennard as a targeted skill addition rather than a defensive anchor \u2014 particularly important with Don\u010di\u0107 sidelined.<\/p>\n Luka Don\u010di\u0107 Ruled Out vs Warriors With Hamstring Strain<\/p>\n Don\u010di\u0107 will miss Saturday\u2019s matchup against Golden State after being ruled out with a left hamstring strain, the team announced. The All-Star guard exited Thursday\u2019s 119\u2013115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> late in the second quarter and did not return.<\/p>\n Initially labeled as left leg soreness, head coach JJ Redick confirmed that Don\u010di\u0107 underwent an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury.<\/p>\n According to ESPN\u2019s <\/a>Dave McMenamin<\/a>, there was cautious optimism early Friday that Don\u010di\u0107 was not dealing with a significant hamstring issue.<\/p>\n Don\u010di\u0107 leads the NBA in scoring at 32.8 points per game, while also averaging 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds. He has already missed eight games this season due to leg-related injuries, with the Lakers posting a 4\u20134 record in those contests.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Brian Windhorst Outlines Stakes for Lakers<\/p>\n Speaking on Friday on Get Up, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst emphasized that the MRI results will dictate the Lakers\u2019 short-term outlook.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really comes down to, is this a mild strain, a first-degree?\u201d Windhorst said. \u201cIf that\u2019s the case, the All-Star break comes next week, and he could be back without missing too many games. If it\u2019s a more serious Grade 2, now you\u2019ve got a bigger problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Windhorst noted that Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s recent injury history heightens concern if imaging reveals anything more than a minor strain.<\/p>\n Redick Praises Kennard\u2019s Fit in Lakers\u2019 Offense<\/p>\n With Don\u010di\u0107 sidelined, Los Angeles is expected to lean heavily on LeBron James<\/a> and Austin Reaves<\/a> to shoulder the offensive load \u2014 while integrating Kennard immediately into the rotation.<\/p>\n Redick expressed enthusiasm about the newest addition.<\/p>\n \u201cExcited about Luke,\u201d Redick said<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve known him for about 12 years now, and I think he\u2019s one of the best shooters in the NBA. I\u2019m going to highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.\u201d<\/p>\n Redick also highlighted Kennard\u2019s off-ball intelligence.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move and create second actions,\u201d Redick said. \u201cYou can initiate offense through off-ball movement, and he\u2019ll make the right play and get the offense going.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Lakers navigate Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s absence, Kennard\u2019s shooting gravity could quickly become a stabilizing force \u2014 and a critical test case for Los Angeles\u2019 deadline strategy.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after being hit in the stomach area by Milwaukee…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":465993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-465992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=465992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/465993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=465992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=465992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=465992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}