Luka Doncic opened Lakers training camp with the kind of news Los Angeles wanted to hear: no limitations.
At Monday’s Media Day, Doncic said his hamstring will not restrict him as the Lakers begin camp, giving the team a clean slate as it starts building around its new centerpiece. He also made it clear he’s itching to get back on the floor.
“It’s been a long time since I played basketball. I’m ready,” Doncic said.
That matters for the Lakers for obvious reasons. Doncic missed the stretch run last season after suffering an April 2 Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an injury that knocked him out for the final 15 games of the year and wiped out his entire postseason. Los Angeles spent those weeks without the player who averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in 2025-26.
Now the focus shifts from recovery to rhythm. Monday’s update doesn’t spell out how much he’ll play in preseason or whether he’ll appear in every exhibition, but it does give the Lakers something more valuable at this stage: the chance to work with him in place.
That changes everything about camp. The staff can test combinations, run sets and start sorting out who fits best when the offense runs through Doncic.
One of the most interesting pieces in that puzzle is Walker Kessler. Doncic gave him a strong endorsement on Monday, saying Kessler was always tough to deal with and calling him an “amazing fit for us” who is “going to help us a lot.”
Kessler, for his part, sounded just as optimistic about the pairing. When talking about operating as a roller alongside Doncic, he pointed to the kind of partnership that already has a blueprint.
“The formula has been done before and it makes sense,” Kessler said.
Of course, the fit will take more than one easy dunk. Doncic and Kessler still need time to build timing against different coverages, and the players around them have to learn when to cut, when to space and when to make themselves available. Those reps will matter as JJ Redick looks at the Lakers’ two unsettled starting spots next to Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler.
A lineup with another shooter looks very different from one built around an extra perimeter defender, and camp is where those choices start to take shape. The big advantage for Los Angeles now is simple: those decisions can be made with Doncic on the floor, not waiting in the wings.
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Lakers Bring Back Familiar Faces With Two-Way Spots Suddenly In Play
The Lakers have filled a couple of training camp openings by bringing back two familiar names, signing William Kyle III and Cole Swider to Exhibit 10 contracts. Both players now get a chance to spend camp in the same building where roster spots are being sorted out, and both will have a path to stay in the mix if they can turn that opportunity into something more.
What makes the move more interesting is how quickly the two-way picture has opened up around them. Los Angeles recently waived two other players on Exhibit 10 deals to create space, and that leaves Kyle and Swider positioned to compete for one of the spots that can still change a fringe players outlook in a hurry. For a team still sorting through the edges of its roster, those kinds of camp battles can matter just as much as the names already locked in. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Trade Came After Utah Faced A Serious Threat
Walker Kesslers arrival in Los Angeles came after a tense stretch in Utah, where the Jazz were trying to keep one of their most valuable young bigs in place while weighing the cost of a major extension. The Lakers landed him through a sign-and-trade package built around two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, a price that underscores how aggressively they moved to bring in a center with real long-term value.
Kessler ended up on a four-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers after reportedly passing on a five-year, $140 million offer from Utah, a choice that adds another layer to how the deal unfolded. Rob Pelinka also said Kessler is fully healthy after shoulder surgery, which only heightens the interest in what Los Angeles believes it added, even as the full story behind Utahs urgency continues to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Could Not Hide What LeBron's Exit Meant To Him
LeBron James departure after eight seasons with the Lakers landed hard inside the locker room, and Austin Reaves did not try to mask it. Reaves, who developed a close relationship with James, spoke openly about how much the veteran meant to him as both a teammate and a mentor, a reminder of how much of last seasons identity was built around the two of them sharing the floor and the day-to-day rhythm that came with it.
Now Reaves is staring at a bigger role in Los Angeles heading into next season, with the Lakers needing more from him on and off the ball. Meanwhile, James heads to Philadelphia on a two-year deal, where the 76ers suddenly look every bit like a superteam alongside Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, leaving the Lakers to figure out what life looks like without one of the leagues defining figures. [Read more 🡒]