A new-look Los Angeles Lakers team is still monitoring the status of guard Collin Sexton as he awaits his team debut while recovering from a lower-leg injury.
Sexton, 27, has been unavailable for the Lakers throughout the preseason and has missed all four games so far. He’s been sidelined “roughly four weeks,” according to BasketNews.
However, Sexton is nearing a return. He’s expected to be ready for the Lakers’ regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick says that Sexton participated in everything besides the live portion of practice on Thursday. He added that the first-year Lakers guard is “trending in the right direction” for Los Angeles’ game against the Golden State Warriors.
Collin Sexton Joins Lakers on Two-Year, $19 Million Deal
Collin Sexton joined the Lakers this offseason following an eventful past two years in the NBA. Sexton played on three different teams across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons: the Utah Jazz, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Chicago Bulls.
While heading into unrestricted free agency this past offseason, Sexton chose to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal is for two years and $19.2 million. Sexton’s contract includes a $9.83 player option for 2027-28.
Despite bouncing around the league as of recently, Sexton provides the Lakers with a reliable guard that can score well and get the job done on the defensive side. In 2025-26, Sexton averaged 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Hornets and the Bulls.
According the Lakers’ depth chart, Sexton will be the first guard off the bench behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Los Angeles will hope that Sexton’s early injures will not transition into the 2026-27 season. Injuries to guards was an issue for the Lakers late last season, leading to a second-round exit in the playoffs.
Lakers Take on Nuggets for Final Game of Preseason
The start of the 2026-27 regular season is getting closer, and the Lakers to the floor just one final time in the preseason.
On Oct. 16, Los Angeles will host the Denver Nuggets in the final game of the preseason.
The is ahead of the Lakers’ regular-season opener less than a week from today. Los Angeles will open up the campaign with back-to-back home games against the Warriors on Oct. 21, followed by a game against their city rival, the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 23.
Los Angeles is looking to improve from a 2025-26 season where they finished 53-29 in the regular season. The Lakers look significantly different after parting ways with LeBron James in free agency.
Lakers’ JJ Redick Provides Telling Collin Sexton Injury Update Amid Absence