Luka Doncic will play the Eurobasket with Slovenia prior to the start of the NBA
The Slovenian will lead his team in the European tournament while the Lakers rebuild for the 2025-26 season
Luka Doncic takes a break from his break. After his first semester with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Slovenian point guard already has his sights set on his next stop: Eurobasket 2025. The continental tournament, which will take place between August 27 and September 14, will feature the talent of the new Los Angeles star, who will lead the Slovenian pre-selection announced this Monday.
The roster, revealed by coach Aleksander Sekulic, includes 19 players and well-known names in European basketball. Among them are figures such as Klemen Prepelic, Zoran Dragic, Edo Muric and Vlatko Cancar, in addition to the naturalized Josh Nebo, current player for Olimpia Milan.
Slovenia was placed in Group D of the tournament, where it will face France, Israel, Poland, Belgium and Iceland. But before launching into battle, the national team will have an intense preparation schedule.
High-level friendlies on the way to the Eurobasket
Between August 8 and 16, Slovenia will play six warm-up matches against major rivals such as Germany (twice), the United Kingdom, Latvia, and Serbia. These duels will be key to fine-tuning the group's chemistry and defining the final roster that will seek to return glory to a country that was champion in 2017.
The provisional list of those called up includes: Miha Cerkvenik, Vlatko Cancar, Ziga Daneu, Luka Doncic, Zoran Dragic, Vit Hrabar, Gregor Hrovat, Robert Jurkovic, Martin Krampelj, Urban Kroflic, Edo Muric, Josh Nebo, Aleksej Nikolic, Mark Padjen, Klemen Prepelic, Rok Radovic, Zak Smrekar, Leon Stergar and Luka Scuka.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles...
In the NBA, the Lakers are already beginning to outline their roster for the 2025-26 season with Doncic as the main protagonist. The Californian team finished third in the West last year but was eliminated prematurely by the Timberwolves, so they've started making moves. Jake LaRavia was the first reinforcement, followed by the arrival of Deandre Ayton from Portland. The return of Jaxson Hayes was also confirmed, while Dorian Finney-Smith left for Houston.
With the current moves, the Lakers' potential starting five would be: Luka Doncic at point guard, Austin Reaves at shooting guard, Rui Hachimura at small forward, LeBron James at power forward, and Deandre Ayton at center. A revamped team with high ambitions, hoping Doncic's talent can make the difference.