Luka Doncic met Lakers officials in Los Angeles before returning to Slovenia.© AFP
The sting of another unfinished postseason run has pushed the Los Angeles Lakers into early offseason mode far sooner than anyone inside the organisation expected. With pressure already building around roster upgrades, title ambitions and the long-term direction of the franchise, one of the biggest priorities has become making sure Luka Doncic enters next season fully fit. Before leaving the United States this weekend, the Slovenian star reportedly sat down with Lakers executives and performance staff to map out the months ahead. After those discussions in Los Angeles, Doncic is now set to return to Ljubljana on Sunday, according to Martin Pavcnik of SportKlub. The focus of the meetings reportedly centred on rehabilitation plans, offseason conditioning and the kind of roster support the Lakers hope to build around him after another campaign disrupted by injuries and playoff frustration.
Luka Doncic injury recovery becomes central Lakers offseason storyline
The Lakers are treating Doncic’s health as one of the defining NBA storylines of their summer. The 27-year-old has not appeared since April 2 after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain that ended up sidelining him longer than initially anticipated. By the time the Lakers crashed out of the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, questions had already shifted towards whether the team had pushed hard enough to protect its superstar during the regular season. Doncic is expected to spend the opening phase of the offseason completing rehabilitation work before gradually rebuilding match fitness ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
After spending the previous five summers representing Slovenia and appearing in 39 official national team games during that stretch, Doncic will skip international duty this year to prioritise rest and physical preparation.
Lakers roster pressure grows after playoff disappointment
For the Lakers, this goes beyond a standard injury update. Doncic played only 64 games during the 2025-26 campaign, his third-lowest total since entering the NBA in 2018, and the first injury-hit season of his career. In a Western Conference growing more competitive every year, the franchise cannot afford another season where its biggest star enters the postseason compromised physically. The organisation still sees Doncic as the centrepiece of its championship hopes, but after another difficult playoff ending, the pressure to finally build a healthier and more reliable contender around him has become impossible to ignore.
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