Lakers' Luka Doncic: Could return vs. Philadelphia

Head coach JJ Redick said Friday that Doncic (personal), who has already been ruled out for Friday's game against the Celtics, could return as soon as Sunday's matchup against the 76ers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.

Doncic is in Slovenia for the birth of his child and is set to miss his second straight game Friday. However, Redick said the superstar will be back with the team "soon" and could possibly play Sunday. The Lakers are expected to provide an update on his status by Saturday night, and if Doncic ultimately ends up missing his third consecutive contest, Gabe Vincent, Jake LaRavia and Nick Smith are candidates for increased minutes.