Luka Doncic is heading into the new season with plenty of buzz around his game, but it’s his body that’s grabbing the spotlight first. Around the Lakers, the early read is simple: he looks lighter, stronger, and ready to carry a heavier load.
That was the conversation on ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective,” where Brian Windhorst, Tim McMahon, and Dave McMenamin spent time on Doncic’s training-camp look. Windhorst opened the door with a blunt update: “By the way, as a quick aside, Dave, I want to report to you that Luka might be in better shape this year than he was last year,” Brian Windhorst said.
McMenamin quickly picked up the thread, calling it “a great sign for the Lakers; that’s fantastic,” Dave McMenamin responded.
McMahon then went further, saying, “I do think Luka is as lean as he’s been since his rookie year. Luka, I think, was listed at 218 in his rookie year, probably was legitimately like 230-ish, and he looks like he’s in about that range now,” Tim McMahon said.
McMenamin pointed to what that could mean on the floor. “Well, we’ll see if he has the lift, right?
Because back when you covered him early on in his career, he was playing above the rim a bunch,” McMenamin said. “That’s a huge development, and obviously it looked like it from, you know, the film and photos I’ve seen.”
He also framed the shape-up as more than just offseason optics. “But it’s one thing for a guy like Luka to go on this regimented diet and workout plan last summer to get a contract extension, but if he’s in better shape now than he was last summer to secure that bag, that’s a great sign for the Lakers,” he further added.
McMahon kept the tone light with one of the more memorable lines from the discussion: “Luka also could have shown up to sign his extension, double-fisting steins of beer, weighing 320 lbs, and still would have gotten it,” McMahon hilariously said.
The visual evidence has only added to the chatter. A Lakers Media Day post went viral after Doncic appeared leaner and noticeably more muscular, and the reaction spread fast online.
Luka looking JACKED heading into the season 😳💪
(Via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/Im05aQ9UnL
- Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 29, 2026
Lakers fans wasted no time celebrating the look, treating it as another reason to believe their star is entering the year in better form than before.
The transformation has been tied in part to Doncic’s trade from the Mavericks, a move reportedly pushed because Dallas was concerned about his health, and also to the contract extension with the Lakers that took effect this season.
Even before this latest offseason buzz, Doncic was producing at an elite level. In his previous physical state, he finished fourth in NBA MVP voting while leading the league in scoring. For the 2025-26 regular season, he averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from 3-point range.
Now, with Doncic looking as fit as he has in years, the expectations around him are only climbing. The hope is that the improved conditioning helps his explosiveness, his durability, and his ability to keep producing at a superstar level.
If that carries over once the games start, Doncic has a real chance to push the Lakers into legitimate championship contention.
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