Lakers rumors: The only player missing Luka Doncic-paid Slovenia trip has good reason

With LeBron James now officially out of the picture, the Los Angeles Lakers are purely Luka Doncic’s team, and the Slovenian appears to be wasting no time in showing his leadership acumen. The five-time All-Star has invited the entire Lakers roster to a four-day minicamp back home in Slovenia in a bid to develop chemistry with a team that has undergone major a change this offseason.

However, even as 16 of the 17 players in the Lakers roster will be attending the camp, newly drafted star Cameron Carr will not be on the plane. This is because he is instead required to attend an official NBA rookie orientation that clashes with camp, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

“League sources say it would have been 17 of 17 if just-drafted swingman Cameron Carr wasn’t required to participate in an official NBA rookie orientation that conflicts with what Dončić is calling a “team bonding trip,” he wrote.

The rest of the Lakers roster is expected to be part of the training camp, including the likes of Austin Reaves, Walker-Kessler, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma, Chris Mañon and AK Okereke. Hence, Carr is the only star on the team who will not be a part of the four-day event which Doncic himself has described as a “team-bonding trip.”

The 22-year-old Carr, picked as the No. 24 pick of the 2026 draft, will undoubtedly be disappointed. Of course, the youngster used the NBA Summer League to announce himself, averaging 18 points, 2.3 rebounds, and one assist per game through his four appearances.

Regardless, the training camp is expected to give the new-look roster a chance to build chemistry. LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency gave the Lakers the impetus to kickstart a spending spree that has resulted in the additions of players such as Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton.

The four-day event will give Doncic and co. more than enough time to acquaint themselves well before the Lakers training camp officially begins in late September.

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