Luka Doncic Books a Slovenia Minicamp for the Lakers' New Core
Doncic will host the whole roster for four days in Ljubljana this August — a chemistry play for a team that just spent $130M on Walker Kessler.
Cheap guard whose usage should climb in the post-LeBron Lakers.
- Doncic hosting full roster 4 days in Ljubljana this August
- Kessler signed 4 years, $130M
- Luka: 33.5/7.7/8.3, 57.5 FPTS/G in 2025-26 (actual)
- LeBron gone; now in Philadelphia at our rank #23
- Sexton, Grimes both ranked outside the top 140
Luka Doncic isn't waiting for training camp to build his new team. Per a source close to the star, the Lakers guard will host the entire roster in his hometown of Ljubljana for a four-day minicamp in August — workouts, pickup runs, golf and a tour of Slovenia. It's a deliberate move from a player who put up 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists a night last season (2025-26, actual) and now carries the franchise on his own.
That last part matters. LeBron James is gone — he's in Philadelphia now, sitting at our rank #23 — and his exit officially handed the keys to Doncic, who ranks #2 overall and #1 among guards in our board. Los Angeles reshaped the roster around him this summer, headlined by a four-year, $130 million deal for center Walker Kessler, the A-list big Doncic reportedly wanted.
The rest of the additions are the reason a Slovenia bonding trip makes sense. Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili are all new, and none of them have shared a floor with this group. Doncic understands the fit questions, and a source said he's genuinely excited to bring the team to his home country ahead of the season.
The Fantasy Read on the New Pieces
The interesting fantasy story here is the supporting cast. Sexton averaged 24.6 fantasy points per game across 68 games last season (2025-26, actual) and comes in at our rank #145. Grimes was right there at 24.8 FPTS/G in 75 games, ranked #143. Both are afterthoughts on paper, but a full offseason building rapport with a ball-dominant creator like Doncic — and no LeBron eating usage — could nudge those numbers up.
Sexton's trend is the one to watch: he's up 9.9 fantasy points over his last five games versus his season average, while Grimes has cooled by 7.4. Doncic himself dealt with injuries the past two seasons, so durability is the only real question mark on a player who posted 57.5 FPTS/G. Don't overthink him — he's a first-round lock in any 2026-27 draft.
Actionable takeaway: buy low on Sexton now, before the post-LeBron usage bump and a summer of Ljubljana chemistry get priced in. Grimes is a wait-and-see hold given the negative recent form, and Kessler is worth a mid-round look as Doncic's preferred rim-runner. Doncic is the cornerstone — draft him and build.
