On October 5 , the Lakers announced that their core player, Luka Dončić, will miss two preseason games this weekend. The team will play against the Suns and away against the Warriors.

It is reported that this decision was made jointly by Dončić and the team's performance management team, mainly considering his physical recovery after participating in the European Championship during the offseason. The Lakers hope to give him more recovery time in the early preseason with long-term health as the priority.

Dončić is a key summer acquisition for the Lakers, and his arrival is expected to form one of the league's most dominant partnerships alongside LeBron James. Head coach Davin Ham stated that the team is currently prioritizing scientific management and a healthy balance: " Luka has experienced an intense summer of competition, and we hope he will be in top form for the regular season. "

The Lakers will focus on evaluating the performance of rotation players, including Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent , in the early preseason to maintain the team's competitiveness. Dončić is expected to debut in the latter part of the preseason, and the team believes this will help him smoothly enter the new season rhythm.