Lakers’ Collin Sexton Trending Toward Season Opener After Lower-Leg Injury

Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton participated in the non-contact portions of Thursday’s practice, signaling progress in his recovery from a lower-leg injury sustained during training camp. Head coach JJ Redick described the veteran guard as “trending in the right direction” to be available for the team’s regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.

The development represents a significant early test for Redick’s medical and performance staff. Lower-leg injuries — a category that encompasses everything from calf strains to tibial stress reactions — often require careful load management in the early season. The Lakers’ decision to hold Sexton out of live scrimmaging while integrating him into drills and walkthroughs suggests a deliberate ramp-up protocol rather than a day-to-day evaluation.

Sexton, 27, arrived in Los Angeles this summer on a two-year, $19.2 million contract that carries a team option for the second season. The deal positions him as the primary backup to starting backcourt partners Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, a role the front office views as critical given the offensive burden those two starters will carry. In 68 games split between Charlotte and Chicago last season, Sexton averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes while shooting 40.1% from three-point range on 4.1 attempts per game.

That perimeter efficiency addresses the Lakers’ most glaring offensive deficiency from a year ago. Los Angeles ranked 24th in three-point attempt rate (32.9 per game) and 14th in accuracy (35.9%), a combination that frequently stalled their half-court offense against packed-in defenses. Sexton’s career 37.8% mark from distance, combined with his ability to generate shots off the dribble, gives Redick a lineup option that can space the floor when either Dončić or Reaves rests.

The signing was part of a wholesale roster reconstruction following the departures of LeBron James and DeAndre Ayton. General manager Rob Pelinka executed a trade for defensive anchor Walker Kessler before adding Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams in free agency. The overhaul reflects a strategic pivot toward athletic, switchable defenders who can play at pace — a philosophical shift from the veteran-heavy, star-centric constructions of recent seasons.

For Sexton, the opportunity represents a career inflection point. After averaging 18.3 points on 47.2% shooting across eight seasons with Cleveland, Utah, Charlotte, and Chicago, he enters his first training camp with genuine championship expectations. The Lakers’ second-round sweep at the hands of Oklahoma City last spring exposed the roster’s lack of shot creation beyond its stars; Sexton’s ability to punish closeouts and attack closeouts in transition was a specific target in the front office’s evaluation process.

Redick, navigating his first NBA training camp as a head coach, has emphasized competitive practices and conditioning standards. Sexton’s modified participation Thursday allowed him to absorb defensive concepts and offensive terminology without risking a setback. The Lakers’ performance staff will monitor his workload through the final preseason games, with a target of 20-25 minutes in the opener if cleared.

Los Angeles tips off the 2026-27 campaign against a Warriors team that returned its core and added secondary playmaking this summer. The nationally televised matchup — scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN — will provide the first real glimpse of how the Lakers’ reconfigured rotation functions under game conditions.