Luka Doncic’s minicamp couldn’t be better timed.
Amid the chaos of the Lakers being sold twice in 10 months and the Buss family being embroiled in a battle over its remaining 17.8% stake in the team, Doncic is gifting the players some noise-canceling headphones in the form of chemistry.
He chartered a flight for his teammates to come to Slovenia. They’re going to be playing basketball. Golfing. Going out to dinners.
They’re going to be steeling themselves against the drama that has recently mired the Lakers.
This is Doncic’s first important act as the official leader of the team.
Yes, the Lakers became Doncic’s team as soon as he was stunningly traded by the Mavericks to Los Angeles in February 2025. But even though it was clear that Doncic was their No. 1 priority, a man by the name of LeBron James was on the squad. You know, arguably the greatest player of all time.
Doncic was the present and the future of the organization, but James was the face of the league. He’s going to be the sun on any squad he’s on. That’s what happens when you’re a four-time champion, four-time MVP and the league’s all-time leading scorer.
When James left this summer in free agency, everything changed.
There’s no more ambiguity. No fuzziness. No ifs, ands or buts.
The Lakers belong to Doncic. He will be celebrated for their successes. He will be blamed for their failures. And more than anything, it’s up to him to keep things together when there are speed bumps. And right now, they’re Himalaya-sized.
Doncic has already begun putting his fingerprint on all parts of the organization. He played a major role in helping build the Lakers’ new roster.
He wanted to keep playing alongside Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract for a player who went undrafted.
He wanted to be paired with center Walker Kessler, whom the Lakers acquired from Utah on a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade deal, including giving up two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028 and 2030).
The Lakers went all in on trying to make Doncic happy. They have zero tradable first-round draft picks through 2033. Now it’s his turn to pour his heart and soul into the team.
A minicamp is just what the Lakers need now, and Doncic got very lucky with the timing.
They’ve been going through whiplash-inducing changes. They’re the talk of the sports world. They’re a mess.
During the minicamp, which began Thursday, Doncic will remind everyone of what matters.
Each other.
The Lakers’ new ownership isn’t going to play within the four lines. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner aren’t going to shoot game-winning jumpers with the clock expiring.
The massive investigation into former Lakers owner Mark Walter’s financial empire can’t block their shots.
Whether the Buss family sells its share in the Lakers and Jeanie Buss remains governor isn’t going to impact their locker room chemistry.
All of the noise around the Lakers is really just noise, even though it’s seemingly deafening.
What matters is Doncic and Reaves harmoniously playing off one another like two perfectly tuned musical instruments in a symphony.
What matters is Kessler learning their games and blossoming into an All-Star.
What matters is Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Matisse Thybulle wanting to run through a wall for the team’s three stars.
Doncic has brought everyone together before, such as organizing a Porsche Driving Experience for the team in October 2025. But this feels different.
He brought everyone to his home country. He greeted his teammates at their hotel while holding one of his daughters. They’re seeing the real him.
The minicamp is going to remind the Lakers how unimportant all of the major earthquakes around them are as soon as they take the court.
It’s the type of thing that can quiet the chaos.
It’s the type of thing that can pay dividends come April.
