Update: Lakers’ head coach J.J. Reddick said Thursday night that Luka Dončić will “likely” debut on Monday night against the Utah Jazz at 10:30 PM ET.
After a massive NBA trade that sent former Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last week, the reigning Western Conference MVP is making his debut for his new team on Disney+.
The Lakers will host Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in Dončić’s expected Lakers debut at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, and Disney+ on February 8. Originally, ESPN was going to air the Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns game on Friday, but with the anticipation of the debut of the Slovenian Superstar, the national matchup was changed.
Shockwaves were sent throughout the basketball world when Shams Charania broke the news of the Dončić trade. The three-team trade sent Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers; Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks; with the Utah Jazz acquiring Jalen Hood-Schifino, the LA Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round selection.
The move of Dončić’s Lakers debut comes after it was announced Disney+ lost 700,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2025. The streaming platform took a dip in subscribers, dropping from 125.3 million at the end of 2024 to 124.6 million now. In spite of the drop, the platform has remained profitable overall, as the company continues to focus on streamlining its streaming segment and improving its financial performance.
Disney CEO Bog Iger noted that the strengths of the company’s Q1 results came from innovative strategies, saying: “We took an important step to advance ESPN’s digital strategy by adding an ESPN tile on Disney+.” Using product integration by giving Disney+ subscribers access to select ESPN sports gives users some ease after recent price increases.
Adding a highly-anticipated game like this could help drive more revenue and subscribers to the platform. At $9.99 per month, Disney+ Basic is the cheapest way to watch the Lakers-Pacers game. However, the Duo Basic plan, which includes Disney+ & Hulu for $10.99 per month provides more value.