Suns Won't Face LeBron James, Luka Doncic in Lakers Matchup

The stars won't exactly be shining on the court tonight.

Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) leave a court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 in game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns won't have Jalen Green or Mark Wiliams at their disposal in tonight's preseason debut against the Los Angeles Lakers, though the stars will be out - literally - for Los Angeles tonight.

Neither Luka Doncic or LeBron James will touch the court tonight against the Suns. James reportedly has nerve irritation while Doncic is simply being rested.

LeBron James (nerve irritation in the glute) and Luka Dončić (rest) will not play in the preseason opener vs. the Suns pic.twitter.com/0RKI0NqdlZ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2025

Marcus Smart (left Achilles tendinopathy), Maxi Kleber (quad) and Adou Thiero (left knee swelling) also will not be playing for the Lakers tonight.

"It'll be a slower process with him leading into the first game," L.A. coach JJ Redick said of James (h/t ESPN). "He's obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body and he's dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.

"So, we're just playing the long game with LeBron."

It's a long season, so it's smart for both teams to be precautionary about workloads in regards to their stars. For Phoenix, Green has a low-grade hamstring injury while Williams is being closely monitored by Suns staff after an injury-riddled start to his career.

Phoenix will see Deandre Ayton tonight, as the former No. 1 overall pick was bought-out of his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers before signing with Los Angeles.

Many thought Ayton took some shots at Phoenix during his Media Day availability - which you can read more about here.

Tip-off for tonight is 7:00 PM MST.

Suns Excited for Preseason

Mar 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Suns aren't expected by many to be competitive in the 2025-26 season after losing names such as Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

"We know the expectations aren't high," said Devin Booker. "They're going to say we're a young team. It's the perfect seat to be in."

There's a certain shift in philosophy the Suns hope to squeeze out of their new regime, led by first-time head coach Jordan Ott, who impressed Booker early in the interview process after Phoenix fired Mike Budenholzer.

“I was just impressed with the way he sees the game evolving and changing. … The ability to do that is not just watching your team and who you’re playing against, but looking around the league and seeing the nuances and details that teams are using to be successful,” Booker said (h/t Arizona Sports).

The Suns and Lakers will clash once more in preseason play when Los Angeles pays a visit to the newly re-named Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday, Oct. 14.