Luka Doncic has yet to appear in a preseason game for the Los Angeles Lakers, but head coach JJ Redick has confirmed that the All-Star guard will see limited action before the regular season begins.
Redick told reporters after Saturday’s practice that Doncic is “TBD” for the upcoming preseason matchup but plans are in place for him to play in two games before opening night. “Luka was a full participant in today’s practice,” Redick said. “He’s going to play in two games in preseason.”
Doncic, who joined the Lakers this summer after leading Slovenia in EuroBasket, said he and the coaching staff are still finalizing the approach. “We got to talk about it with JJ, you know, my team,” Doncic said. “We don’t know yet but probably going to end up playing two games of the preseason.”
The 26-year-old guard had been a full participant in team drills this week after a modified workload earlier in camp. He explained that his lighter schedule was due to his extended summer basketball commitments. “I had national team one month and something of basketball. So obviously it’s a long season ahead. Just because of that,” Doncic said.
Redick emphasized that the team’s preseason focus remains on defensive preparation and chemistry rather than rushing star players back to full game action. “We knew this going into camp, so it hasn’t changed anything for how we want to practice or what our philosophies are,” he said.
The Lakers are also without LeBron James, who continues to recover from a nerve irritation issue. Redick acknowledged the challenge of building rotations without the full roster available but remains encouraged by the team’s progress. “It’s unclear what the starting lineup is going to be until he’s back. We’ll have to figure that out,” he said.
Doncic echoed that mindset, noting the importance of depth and readiness from the rest of the group. “Our mentality needs to be next up. We got a group of guys that are practicing and hopefully LeBron can join as soon as possible,” he said.
The Lakers have dropped their first two preseason contests against Phoenix and Golden State but will continue tuning up with four more games ahead of opening night.
