The Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to make plenty of changes after an early exit from the 2025 NBA postseason. Head coach JJ Redick didn't waste any time revealing what summertime changes he wants to see from his roster, announcing the Lakers "have to get in championship shape" if they want to be a contender next season.
The Lakers didn't waste any time heeding Redick's words, posting a job opening for a new head strength and conditioning coach last week. While it can take a bit of time for changes to set in, one of Los Angeles' superstars is reportedly ready to make serious changes this offseason.
Luka Doncic Reportedly Changing Conditioning Mindset Amid Lakers Offseason
On May 27, Jason Gallagher — the producer of LeBron James and Steve Nash's "Mind The Game" podcast — appeared on "The Dumb Zone" to talk about the NBA offseason. During the interview, the podcast producer revealed that Luka Doncic is planning to make big changes to his offseason conditioning regime.
"I’ve heard from folks that are pretty honest about the conditioning stuff or whatever that Luka has already like begun to clean slate, like starting anew," Gallagher said. "He’s already like in this mindset of changing a lot about himself. Now, I’ve heard it before, but not from specific people that have been critical of him."
Doncic's conditioning has been a hot topic ever since he was traded to the Lakers in a pre-deadline deal that saw Anthony Davis shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks. Reports quickly emerged that the Mavericks were less than enthused about the Slovenian star's conditioning, which played a big role in the surprising blockbuster.
Some folks chalked up those complaints to the Mavericks potentially wanting to hurt Doncic on the way out, but the concerns reemerged once Redick made his post-elimination comments. Fortunately, Doncic seemingly isn't bothered by the remarks, even if they weren't directed to him, and is using the offseason as motivation to come back better than ever this fall.
One of the best players in today's NBA, Doncic lived up to the hype by averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.6 steals with .438/.379/.791 shooting splits in 28 regular-season starts with the Lakers. He then paced his teammates with 30.2 points and 5.8 assists in the playoffs; however, it wasn't good enough to help Los Angeles overcome Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Hopefully, Doncic's offseason changes help him play to his true potential — a difference-making star who'll help the Lakers transition into the post-LeBron era, whether that happens this summer or next year.