The Los Angeles Lakers‘ 2025-26 campaign came to an end on Monday night, as the team suffered a 115-110 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of their second-round series. With Luka Doncic missing the entire series with a lingering hamstring injury, that destroyed pretty much any realistic hope the Lakers had of taking down the reigning NBA champions.
All eyes are going to be on LeBron James and Austin Reaves this offseason, but it’s also going to be a very important stretch for Doncic. Not only will he be keeping close tabs on the Lakers’ roster construction around him, but it sounds like he is already hard at work when it comes to ensuring he will be in peak physical condition for the 2026-27 season.
Luka Doncic Begins ‘Strict Offseason Diet’
(h/t @TheNBABase)
For much of his career, the main concern surrounding Doncic has been his fitness and conditioning. While he can do extraordinary things on the court, Doncic has struggled to keep himself in tip-top shape for a full NBA season. This became a problem during the 2024 NBA Finals, as a worn-down Doncic couldn’t lead the Dallas Mavericks to victory. Just a few months later, they traded him to the Lakers.
Since arriving in L.A., Doncic has made an effort to focus on his well-being all year long. This includes the offseason, which saw him embark on a strict diet in order to ensure that he would show up for the start of the 2025-26 campaign in peak physical condition. While his hamstring injury ended his season prematurely, Doncic played some of his best basketball when he was on the court this season (33.5 PPG, 8.3 APG, 7.7 RPG, 47.6 FG%).
Still, the year didn’t end the way Doncic was hoping it would, meaning he isn’t content with what he or his team has accomplished. As a result, Doncic is going to be attacking the offseason once he gets fully healthy. In fact, according to a new report, Doncic has already begun the same offseason diet he employed last year, which will surely make Los Angeles fans happy.
“(Doncic has) already begun the same strict offseason diet he undertook to transform his body last summer and is currently pain-free in the hamstring, positive signs for his long-term health,” Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported. “The expectation is that he won’t be limited in his offseason preparation for next year, the Lakers’ top priority in a good position to lead whatever roster the Lakers put alongside him.”
Lakers Set to Build Around Luka Doncic This Offseason
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic
The main reason this offseason is so important for Doncic is that the Lakers are going to be building around him moving forward. That likely means that James will be departing, while the hope is that Reaves will stick around. Rather than looking to contend with Doncic and James leading the way, though, this is going to be Doncic’s team moving forward.
With that in mind, Doncic must show he’s intent on making good on Los Angeles’ investment in him. Playing at a high level has never been Doncic’s problem, but doing so throughout the course of a full season is going to be crucial, especially now that he appears set to take on more responsibility for the team. The offseason isn’t even 24 hours old for the Lakers, but there’s reason to be encouraged by this subtle Doncic update.
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