Luka Doncic is closing in on his return to Los Angeles, with a report saying he is expected back around September 28 before the Lakers open preparations for the 2026-27 season.
According to Martin Pavcic of Sports Club, Doncic has spent his offseason doing the work in the right order: first getting fully healthy, then moving into a serious conditioning program with longtime personal trainer Anze Macek.
“The basic “homework” task was to completely repair all injuries, and then complete physical training. Anze Macek, now Luka’s long-time personal trainer, who also supports him in the USA, first in Dallas and then in Los Angeles, had the main say again.
The first star of the LA Lakers has not been so physically prepared for a long time. His weight is also within the desired range, unofficially even at 105 kilograms.”
The report also says Doncic, who has increasingly handed control of his day-to-day direction to his agent Lara Beth, is expected to stay in Europe until September 20 before heading to Los Angeles. The Lakers are scheduled to begin official preparations for the 2026/27 season on September 29, with traditional media day set for the day before.
That 105-kilogram figure works out to about 231.5 pounds, and it lines up with what fans have been seeing this summer. Workout footage and clips from the Lakers mini-camp in Slovenia showed a noticeably slimmer Doncic, with many describing him as the leanest he has looked in his NBA career.
The timing matters, too. Doncic’s conditioning has become a central storyline after another season interrupted by injury. He missed the Lakers’ entire 2026 postseason run with a grade two left hamstring strain suffered in March, and it was the second straight season he lost a significant chunk of time.
For the Lakers, the first priority clearly seems to be health, not just weight loss. Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists last season while winning his second scoring title.
With LeBron James leaving for the Philadelphia 76ers, the load on Doncic only grows. In 15 games without LeBron last season, he put up 35.1 points per game, a preview of how much the Lakers may need to ride him.
ESPN has already backed Doncic to repeat as scoring champion, and NBA insiders reportedly expect him to win another scoring title as well.
Still, the bigger discussion around Doncic has never really been about whether he can score. It has been about whether his conditioning, durability, and defensive intent can catch up with his talent. This offseason, by all accounts, looks like another step in that direction.
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