JJ Redick Delivers Encouraging Lakers Health Update After First Practice

Los Angeles receives an encouraging early sign as JJ Redick assesses the state of the roster after the opening day of training camp.

Sep 24, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick speaks to the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially started their training camp, with all the faces finally getting a chance to work together on the basketball floor ahead of the NBA preseason, which gets underway for the team on Oct. 5 against the Sacramento Kings.

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach JJ Redick fielded questions from the media about what he saw from his new-look Lakers roster and if there are any injury concerns after their first session of on-court work.

JJ Redick Says Lakers Have ‘No Concerns Health-Wise’

Fortunately for Los Angeles, the team has begun training camp without any health concerns, according to Redick.

“Everybody participated,” Redick said of the team’s first practice. “We had a couple guys that are still not fully in contact mode, but they will be at some point this week. So there’s really no concerns health-wise.”

With so many players on the current roster dealing with injuries last season, especially Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler, the primary concern is getting these three stars ready to go for the start of the regular season on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.

Redick: New-Look Lakers Are ‘An Eager Group’

Along with the team getting off to a good start health-wise, Redick has noticed how eager his new-look squad has been to get to work on the basketball floor.

“This is a very receptive group. An eager group,” Redick said. “Even there were a couple of guys that sat out a portion of the live play, and they’re constantly asking questions. They want information and they want to learn and they want to be better.”

An eagerness to learn and soak up the knowledge from a new group of players is always a good sign, as they aren’t just going through the motions.

Even Redick is enjoying the “teaching part” of it and has seen himself grow as a head coach heading into his third season with the Lakers, where he is the leader on the sideline.

“I think in terms of myself, the teaching part of it was something that I’ve maybe grown a little bit since your very first practice two years ago. It’s a little different now, so just intrinsic knowledge,” Redick said.

Redick definitely has a tall task ahead of him to figure out who should be in the starting lineup alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler, and then which players should get the bulk of rotation minutes.

All of that will be determined in the weeks ahead and could have some interesting results.

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