Luka Doncic Welcomes Daughter Olivia; Lakers Await Return

Merlin sees the mystery: Luka Dončić missed two games for personal reasons because he and fiancée Anamaria Goltes welcomed their daughter Olivia, a birth the couple announced on Instagram. The Lakers had listed him out after Dec. 1; coach JJ Redick said his return will be "soon" and "possibly as early as Sunday" against the 76ers. The news matters because Dončić is leading the NBA in scoring (35.3) and the Lakers sit 16-6, third in the West — his availability directly shifts their ceiling. Merlin notes this is a gentle pause in a brilliant first full Lakers season — a family moment that also arrives at a convenient schedule hinge (road trip ending, five home games starting Christmas). Expect careful load management: the team wants him back, but healthy and focused.