Luka Doncic is moving fast to make this Lakers group feel like his team, and he’s doing it with a four-day minicamp back in Slovenia. The idea is simple: get everyone together, build some chemistry, and start turning a roster full of new faces into something that actually fits.
Almost everyone is going. Sixteen of the Lakers’ 17 players are expected to make the trip, with one notable exception: newly drafted Cameron Carr.
His absence has nothing to do with the camp itself. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Carr has to attend an official NBA rookie orientation at the same time, which keeps him from joining Doncic’s “team bonding trip.”
“League sources say it would have been 17 of 17 if just-drafted swingman Cameron Carr wasn't required to participate in an official NBA rookie orientation that conflicts with what Dončić is calling a “team bonding trip,” he wrote.
The rest of the group will be there, including Austin Reaves, Walker-Kessler, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma, Chris Mañon and AK Okereke. So while Carr is the lone player left out, the Lakers will still have a near full-house for the Slovenian getaway.
Carr, taken with the No. 24 pick in the 2026 draft, is coming off a strong showing in Summer League, where he averaged 18 points, 2.3 rebounds and one assist across four games. Even so, missing this first team event is an obvious letdown for a young player trying to get established.
The larger picture is that the Lakers are in a very different place now. LeBron James’ move to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency opened the door for a major offseason spending spree, and the roster now includes Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton. Doncic’s camp gives all of them a head start before Lakers training camp begins in late September.
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Lakers May Still Be Chasing Athletic Wing Help Before Camp
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One of those options is Peyton Watson, whose situation has drawn sign-and-trade interest from several teams, including the Lakers. For a team still weighing ways to add length and athleticism on the perimeter, that kind of flexible trade candidate is worth monitoring, even if nothing is imminent. If the talks never come together, Watson could eventually reach unrestricted free agency in 2027, keeping this thread alive well beyond the current summer. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Walter Just Set A New Standard For The Lakers
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Walter also acknowledged that getting there will not be simple, which is part of what makes the message resonate. The Lakers have spent too much time talking about the next step instead of the next banner, and Walter promised that championships will return to Los Angeles under his watch, a declaration that instantly raises the pressure and the expectation around everything the franchise does next. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Frontcourt Hole Puts Luka At Center Of Next Big Decision
The Lakers still have a notable opening at starting power forward, and the search to fill it has lingered well into the offseason. After coming up short in their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, the front office has kept looking around the league for a frontcourt answer, with the market for bigger bodies now drawing as much attention as any splashier move.
One name that has surfaced is Dallas forward P.J. Washington, a player the Lakers have shown interest in as they try to firm up the lineup around Luka Doncic. A reunion would make sense from Doncics side, and his comfort with Washington is part of what gives the idea some traction, but there is still no agreement in place as the Lakers keep weighing their options. [Read more 🡒]