The Los Angeles Lakers will send one of their coaches to oversee Luka Doncic‘s preparation and recovery at the upcoming Eurobasket event, according to Matej Erjavec, the president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia.
Erjavec revealed the news to Slovenian station RTV SLO [h/t EuroHoops] on May 27.
“Within two minutes in a meeting with Rob Pelinka, he stressed, ‘Well, you will get Luka and one coach, and that’s it.’ And with that, we were done. There was no debate at all.”
The Dallas Mavericks had similarly sent assistant coach Sean Sweeney to the Slovenian national team during Doncic’s previous stints with the national team. As such, it’s not entirely a shock that the Lakers would do the same.
It’s unknown which member of JJ Redick’s staff will accompany Doncic.
Are Lakers Concerned About Doncic?
According to NBA rules, international players are allowed to participate with their national teams for only one month. As such, Doncic is expected to join the Slovenian national team two weeks before the start of EuroBasket 2025.
The tournament, co-hosted by four countries, will start on August 28 and conclude with the final on September 14. Doncic’s Slovenia will be in Group D along with Iceland, France, Belgium, Israel and co-hosts Poland.
The knockout stages of the tournament will be held in Latvia.
While the Lakers have accommodated Doncic’s request to play the EuroBasket, there have been signs of possible concern about his fitness. In early May, the Lakers posted an advert looking for a new “Head Strength & Conditioning Coach,” with the job description stating that the new coach would be “responsible for motivating players and holding them accountable for their work in the weight room.”
Some analysts, including ESPN’s Jay Williams, felt the ad was related to their concerns about Doncic’s fitness levels.
Luka Doncic Expected to Sign New Deal
Amid the concerns, Doncic is committed to transforming his body, according to Slovenian outlet SportKlub.
“Doncic has focused on reshaping his body in Ljubljana—so far, without basketball,” read the report published on May 26.
“This includes guided conditioning sessions in the gym and a revised diet. The first physical results are reportedly already quite visible, and measurement results are said to be encouraging.”
The report surfaced shortly after photos emerged of a noticeably thinner Doncic at a Real Madrid basketball game.
While Doncic can become a free agent in 2026, his immediate future could be decided as early as the 2025 offseason. The Slovenian star is expected to sign a contract extension with the Lakers over the summer, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
“I would be shocked if there’s not some sort of extension this summer,” he told the Dan Patrick Show. “I haven’t talked to him directly about this, but talking to people who know Luka well, I think he’s fully committed to L.A. now.”
It bodes well for the Lakers’ future that Doncic is reportedly committed for the long haul. The team acquired him in a blockbuster deal at the 2025 trade deadline, sending Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.
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