Collin Sexton is moving toward a possible opening-night return for the Los Angeles Lakers, although he has not yet resumed live practice.
Coach JJ Redick said Thursday that Sexton completed the drill portion of practice while continuing to sit out live action. The guard has missed the preseason with a lower-leg injury.
Redick described Sexton as progressing toward being available for the regular-season opener.
“Trending in the right direction,” Redick said.
The update leaves a distinction between participating in structured work and being cleared to compete. Sexton has reached the former stage, but Thursday’s comments did not establish a return date.
Los Angeles hosts Golden State on Oct. 21. Before then, the Lakers have one remaining exhibition against Denver on Friday, giving Redick a final preseason game to evaluate the players available to him.
Collin Sexton’s recovery has followed a different timeline than Walker Kessler’s
Redick’s optimism about the opener also predates Thursday. As Lakers Daily previously covered, he had already dismissed concern about Sexton missing opening night after the Oct. 8 game.
Thursday therefore adds a more current description of Sexton’s workload rather than reversing an earlier pessimistic assessment. The coach has continued to express confidence about the season’s start while keeping restrictions in place during the preparation period.
Sexton and Walker Kessler entered the final stretch of the preseason waiting to make their Lakers debuts, but their recoveries have not moved together.
After Saturday’s practice, Redick said that Sexton was working through a modified session and was behind Kessler, who had been dealing with a finger injury.
“Collin was modified again,” said Redick. “He probably is a little bit further behind (Walker Kessler).”
That comparison provided context for why one player could be approaching game action while the other remained restricted. It did not establish a shared timetable or mean Sexton would return as soon as Kessler did.
Kessler subsequently received clearance to make his Lakers debut against Golden State on Tuesday. Sexton remained unavailable for that game, as did Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr.
Luka Doncic also sat out Tuesday, but Redick clarified before the game that Doncic was resting rather than dealing with an injury.
That matters when evaluating the backcourt: The group available for an exhibition has not necessarily represented the group Redick intends to use when the regular season begins.
Why Sexton’s availability matters for the Lakers’ offense
Sexton averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists per game last season between Charlotte and Chicago.
Those numbers illustrate the scoring and ball-handling experience Los Angeles would regain with his return. Having another guard capable of initiating possessions would give Redick an additional option when arranging minutes around Doncic and Austin Reaves.
That would not automatically resolve the Lakers’ offensive mistakes. Reaves has already acknowledged that the team’s leading creators need to improve their own execution.
After Sunday’s practice, Reaves identified himself and Doncic as central figures in the Lakers’ turnover problem. He also discussed the need for better organization.
The distinction is important for Sexton’s eventual role. Adding another ball-handler can change who runs a possession, but it does not remove the need for teammates to execute the next pass, recognize the intended action and get into position.
Reaves’ comments also extended beyond the two starting guards. He expressed confidence in Sandro Mamukelashvili advancing the ball after a rebound and initiating offense, even with Reaves or Doncic alongside him.
“He’s got such a high basketball IQ that if he gets the rebound, he should basically play the 1,” Reaves said.
The Lakers therefore have multiple ways to begin an attack. Getting Sexton into the mix would allow Redick to assess another combination rather than requiring every lineup to operate through the same players.
Other Lakers are returning to practice
Thursday’s availability report included progress elsewhere. Williams returned to full practice participation, Thiero rejoined the group and Carr remained out.
Williams said his availability for Friday would depend on the staff’s decision. His return to practice did not amount to a confirmation that he would face Denver.
Redick also identified a benefit of this year’s preparation: he expects 12 preseason practices, compared with six last year, and said the additional time has allowed more installation, particularly defensively.
That gives the coaching staff work to draw upon beyond the exhibition results. However, Sexton’s absence from live play still limits the opportunities to test how he fits those plans against teammates in competitive possessions.
Redick expects chemistry to develop beyond the preseason
Before Tuesday’s game, Redick discussed the difference between learning the system and developing timing together.
The coach pointed to teaching on the court and in film sessions, including engagement from players who were unavailable. He also cautioned that a roster with nine newcomers would need regular-season experience to establish its rhythm.
“We’ve really tried, even without all the bodies available, we’ve tried to do a lot of teaching in practice, prior to practice, we’ve done a lot of teaching in the film room,” Redick said. “Guys have been super engaged, even the guys that have been out. So that part of it I think is gonna be there, and then there’s the rhythm of playing together. I don’t care what anybody says, that takes weeks and weeks of the regular season, especially for a group that has nine new players.”
Those remarks preceded Thursday’s injury update, but they explain why a return to the lineup and a fully coordinated offense are separate milestones. Players can learn assignments while sidelined; executing them together against an opponent presents a different test.
The remaining home schedule provides two immediate checkpoints: Denver visits Friday at 7:30 p.m. PST, followed by Golden State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PST.
For Sexton, the next meaningful development will be whether he can rejoin live work and receive clearance to play. Until then, the Lakers have an encouraging assessment from their coach, with his game status still unresolved.
