Luka Doncic has embraced physical fitness since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in a way that he never did while with the Dallas Mavericks. Many suspect that Doncic is motivated to disprove former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who allegedly had Doncic's poor physical conditioning and durability issues high on the list of reasons for trading Luka.
Harrison's decision to trade Doncic was a terrible one (he's since been fired for good reason), but when it comes to his rumored stances on Luka's durability, Harrison hasn't exactly been proven wrong yet.
Injury prevention remains a main weakness of Luka's. Most recently, he missed the final 15 games of the Lakers' 2025-26 season and the entire postseason, which ruined LA's playoff chances and effectively spoiled their year.
Now, as Luka looks lean and mean entering the 2026-27 campaign, many fans are finding it hard to get too excited. It's not what Luka looks like in October -- but rather, whether he's healthy and fit in April, May, and June -- that actually matters. Only then would Doncic disprove the notion that he's not durable enough to build a franchise around.
Lakers fans might find it difficult to celebrate Luka Doncic's chiseled training camp body
ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported this week that Doncic is as lean right now as he was during his rookie season (which was around 230 pounds).
Luka Doncic weight is in the range of what it was when he was a rookie, per @BannedMacMahon
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 2, 2026
"I do think Luka's as lean as he's been since his rookie year. Luka, I think, was listed 218 his rookie year, probably was legitimately like 230-ish, and he looks like he's in about that… pic.twitter.com/60ziLier8a
It's clear that Doncic rehabbed his hamstring responsibly this summer and got to work getting his body in peak condition for the start of the new campaign. He's said that he's 100% healthy and is entering the new season with no restrictions.
But again, none of this will matter if Doncic has another season that ends in injury. Remember -- even when Luka led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, he was severely limited physically in said Finals due to multiple injuries sustained on the journey.
This isn't an indictment against Luka's love for the game or commitment to winning. It's an acknowledgement that his burden as a high-usage playmaker -- mixed with his natural propensity for injury -- sets him up for missed time virtually every season. JJ Redick will be partially to blame if he doesn't manage Doncic's minutes cautiously.
In the background loom the warnings of Harrison, who has been laughed out of the NBA for making one of the worst trades in sports history. But his concerns over Luka's durability remain wholly valid.
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