Luka Doncic says his hamstring will not limit him as the Los Angeles Lakers begin training camp.
Speaking at Monday’s Media Day, Doncic said he would enter camp without restrictions. The update gives the Lakers an encouraging starting point as they prepare to build their new lineup around him.
Luka Dončić says he has no restrictions entering camp after his severe hamstring strain last season.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) September 28, 2026
Doncic also expressed his eagerness to get back to competition.
“It’s been a long time since I played basketball. I’m ready,” Doncic said.
Luka Doncic: “It’s been a long time since I played basketball. I’m ready.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 28, 2026
Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury kept him out of the playoffs
An April 2 Grade 2 left hamstring strain cost Doncic the final 15 games of the Lakers’ season, including their entire postseason.
That absence left Los Angeles without a player who averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in 2025-26. His return restores both a scoring threat and the passer responsible for creating many of his teammates’ opportunities.
Monday’s comments address his participation entering camp. They do not, by themselves, establish how many minutes he will play in preseason or whether he will appear in every exhibition.
For the Lakers, the immediate value is the opportunity to practice their preferred combinations with Doncic involved. Evaluating who works best around him becomes more useful when those players can share possessions with him, rather than wait for his return.
Walker Kessler gives Doncic a new partnership to develop
One of those relationships is with Walker Kessler, who received an endorsement from Doncic on Monday.
Asked about wanting Kessler on the Lakers, Doncic pointed to the difficulty of facing him as an opponent and predicted that he would help Los Angeles.
Luka Doncic, when asked about why/how he identified Walker Kessler as a player he wanted on the Lakers, says Walker was always tough to play against. Added that Walker will be an "amazing fit for us" and "he’s going to help us a lot.”
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) September 28, 2026
Kessler offered a specific reason for his own optimism. Discussing his role rolling toward the basket alongside Doncic, he pointed to the precedent for that type of partnership.
“The formula has been done before and it makes sense,” Kessler said.
The practical work involves more than completing an uncontested lob. Kessler and Doncic must develop their timing against different coverages, while the players around them learn when to cut, relocate or make themselves available for a pass.
Those repetitions could also help JJ Redick assess the Lakers’ two unsettled starting positions alongside Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler. A lineup that provides another shooter creates different opportunities and defensive responsibilities than one built around an additional perimeter defender.
Doncic’s availability allows those choices to be evaluated around the player who will be initiating the offense. The Lakers can spend camp testing how their pieces function together, with their lead creator saying he is ready to take part.
