Will Luka Doncic Play in Preseason for Lakers? JJ Redick Answers

Sep 29, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their first preseason game of the year to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, but after the Lakers announced that superstar Luka Doncic would be held out of the team's first two games of the preseason, there is speculation as to when the 26-year-old will play his first exhibition game in the purple and gold.

Head coach JJ Redick recently touched on the plan with Doncic moving forward, and was hopeful that the Slovenian would get started a little later on in the preseason.

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“We’re gonna use next week to continue to just get him in a good spot, with his body and his energy and all that stuff,” Redick said. “He was great the first two days at camp; it was a lot. It made sense, given his workload this summer, to just kind of pull back. He’s in a great place physically and mentally. We’ll just continue to use next week to just get him ramped up and get all the guys acclimated with him.”

Surely, Doncic knows that the regular season games are the ones that will count moving forward, but recently spoke on the importance of getting everyone on the same page through the preseason.

Luka Doncic 'Can't Wait for the Regular Season'

“For me, I can’t wait for the regular season," Doncic said. "I know it’s way different, the preseason. Can’t wait for the real games. But getting the [practices], getting chemistry together, that’s about it.”

The practices are something that have been noticeably more intense this season as the Lakers gear up to make a deep postseason run. There is also a new mantra that the purple and gold will be using this season that is posted throughout their training facility: Championship habits, Championship communication, Championship shape."

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The Lakers know that Doncic is a little less than a month removed from a grueling EuroBasket gauntlet, filled with physicality and some of the best talent from participating European countries.

In order to ensure Doncic's best self on the court — both for pre and regular season play — perhaps taking the first two games off to slowly ramp him up will be the best option in the long run.

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