Luka Doncic shines in Lakers return as Buss family dispute escalates

Luka Doncic made a successful return to game action Monday in the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason victory over Sacramento, marking his first competitive appearance in more than six months following a significant left hamstring injury on April 2. His comeback comes as the Lakers continue to sort out their wing rotation in training camp and as a long‑running ownership dispute inside the Buss family enters a new legal phase.

Doncic back after hamstring layoff and summer away from Slovenia

As detailed by Khobi Price of the New York Post, the matchup with the Kings ended an extended stretch without live game play for Doncic, who was unable to return before L.A. was eliminated from last season’s playoffs. He also sat out Slovenia’s FIBA World Cup qualifying games in August, choosing not to play internationally this summer so he could focus on family matters and spend more time with his young daughters amid a custody dispute with his former fiancée.

On the floor, the star guard showed little rust, going 5-for-12 from the field and finishing with 21 points in just 16 minutes. After the game, he summed up his feelings by saying he had “missed it a lot” and was happy to be back competing. The performance was an encouraging indicator that his hamstring has responded well to rehab and conditioning work.

Head coach JJ Redick praised Doncic’s physical preparation, noting that the All-Star put in substantial work over the summer and arrived at camp in excellent shape. According to Redick, Doncic altered his normal routine by playing less live basketball than usual and instead emphasizing conditioning and gradually ramping up his rhythm during camp practices.

Redick demands focus, wings fight for rotation minutes

The next night, in a road loss to the Golden State Warriors, Redick’s frustration with his team’s focus surfaced early. Even though several regulars rested on the second night of a back-to-back, he called a timeout just a couple of possessions into the game after watching the Lakers fail to execute two set plays he had installed during camp, describing that level of sloppiness as unacceptable regardless of the preseason setting.

Meanwhile, the competition for minutes on the wing remains one of the key storylines of camp. In a subscribers-only piece, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times notes that Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle started Monday’s contest, but they are being pushed by Adou Thiero, rookie Cameron Carr and other options. Redick has expressed confidence in his wing depth and has floated the possibility of using as many as six or seven wings in a given game, depending on matchups and performance.

Buss siblings challenge Jeanie over minority stake sale

Off the court, governance of the franchise is once again in the spotlight. According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Jeanie Buss’s five siblings filed a formal objection Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court to her petition aimed at preventing them from including the family’s shares in a proposed sale of a minority stake in the team.

Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss argue that they are entitled to have the family’s stake participate in a deal being negotiated with Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger that values the Lakers at $12.5 billion. In a prepared statement, they said their priority is to move the transaction forward and ensure the family trust’s participation while insisting that all beneficiaries, including Jeanie, be treated equally. The filing sets up the next stage of a complex internal dispute as the Lakers attempt to keep their focus on the upcoming season on the court.