Luka Dončić will enter his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. While it’s still as shocking as ever that the Lakers got him, many look forward to seeing how he’ll fare in his first year, especially now that his conditioning is better than when he first joined the team.
However, since the Lakers started training camp, the team has limited Dončić’s participation. While that may sound odd at first, there is a pretty good reason why his practice time has been limited.
Why Has Luka Dončić’s Role Been Reduced During Lakers Practice?
While talking with reporters, Dončić explained why the Lakers modified his training camp participation.
“Just because I had national team,” Dončić told reporters, per Lakers reporter Jovan Buha. “I played one month and something of basketball. So, obviously, it’s a long season again. So it’s because of that.”
Luka Doncic on why he was a modified participant in practices this week until today: “Just because I had national team. I played one month and something of basketball. So, obviously, it’s a long season again. So it’s because of that.” pic.twitter.com/O5CMd04lVn
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 11, 2025
Dončić played for his home country, Slovenia, during the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. He even had an injury scare during the tournament, which could have been much worse. It would have been an awful turn of events if it had become clear he had slimmed down during the offseason.
The Lakers clearly don’t want to risk their franchise player getting hurt, so they want to work him in slowly. In due time, he will be the one running the show entirely when LeBron James leaves the Lakers, whenever that will be.
Dončić will already get a good taste of that, as James is expected to miss some time due to his latest injury. Even though the Lakers have evident title aspirations, this is a time of transition for them. Their focus will be turning to Dončić going forward as James’ decline continues, no matter how slow.
The Lakers star is also coming off an injury-plagued season, playing in only 50 games and evidently looking a little out of shape, which again, he aimed to rectify this offseason. It’s why there will be plenty of spotlight on him this season.
That’s not just because he’s playing for the bright lights that come with donning a Lakers uniform. Many have become skeptical about his ability to maintain an NBA-caliber physique, even if he is one of the league’s best players. While his talent is undeniable, what will prevent Dončić and the Lakers from winning a title is if he doesn’t take his conditioning seriously.
They are signaling how serious they are about integrating Dončić the right way by working him back slowly.