Luka Doncic is moving fast to put his stamp on the Lakers, and his latest move says plenty about who’s running the show now.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Doncic is set to bring the full Lakers roster to Slovenia in August for a four-day minicamp as the team gets ready for the 2026-27 season. The trip is expected to feature on-court work, golf, sightseeing in Ljubljana, and team-bonding sessions before training camp opens.
The setting matters as much as the schedule. Instead of keeping everything in Los Angeles or Las Vegas, Doncic is inviting his teammates into his hometown and giving them time together away from the usual routine. The idea is simple: build the kind of trust that doesn’t come from drills alone.
That’s a big deal for a Lakers group that has been heavily reshaped this offseason. After LeBron James left in free agency for the Philadelphia 76ers, the team added as many as nine new players and retooled around Doncic. Austin Reaves was re-signed, and the Lakers also brought in Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, Kevon Looney and Matisse Thybulle.
With that much turnover, chemistry is going to matter almost as much as talent. The Lakers already held a smaller minicamp during Las Vegas Summer League, but this one is different because it brings everyone together. Doncic clearly wants the group connected well before September training camp.
There’s a familiar Lakers blueprint behind it. During his time in Los Angeles, James often organized player-led minicamps in Las Vegas before camp, and those workouts became a regular part of the team’s preparation. They also helped players like Austin Reaves make strong impressions before earning larger roles.
Now Doncic is taking over that responsibility in his own way.
The itinerary in Slovenia goes beyond basketball. Golf is part of the plan, which fits with a hobby Doncic has recently taken up alongside Reaves.
The group will also spend time sightseeing in Ljubljana. Those details may seem minor, but the source of team chemistry is often pretty ordinary: dinners, conversations, travel and shared time.
Doncic’s influence on the roster has already been obvious this offseason. He pushed for an A-list center, and the Lakers responded by getting Walker Kessler.
He also wanted to keep playing with Austin Reaves, and the team gave Reaves a max contract and re-signed him. He reportedly also had conversations that helped recruit Matisse Thybulle.
That makes this the second straight season in which Doncic has played an active role in shaping the roster, a clear sign of how much control he now has within the franchise.
The Lakers still don’t look like instant title favorites, even with the deeper roster. There are too many new pieces to expect everything to click right away. But every extra day together matters, and this four-day trip gives them a head start before camp.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. This is no longer LeBron James’ team.
It’s Luka Doncic’s.
And before his first full season as the unquestioned face of the franchise, he’s making sure his teammates show up to camp already knowing each other. If the Lakers come out firing this fall, this Slovenia minicamp could end up looking like the first real step into a new era.
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