Head coach JJ Redick said before the Lakers’ season opener against Golden State on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that Collin Sexton had not suffered a setback with his calf strain. He said keeping Sexton out was a joint decision with the team’s performance staff. The Lakers announced on Wednesday afternoon that Sexton had been downgraded to out after being listed as questionable due to a right soleus strain.
The Lakers beat the Warriors 127-105 without him.
Redick said everyone was involved in the call, and he tied it to how he handles soft-tissue injuries in general: “the athlete has to have confidence and full confidence.” He did not describe any new problem with the calf.
Sexton has been sidelined through all of training camp due to what the Lakers were calling a lower-leg injury, causing him to miss all five preseason games. He was a full participant in practice on Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Sexton signed a two-year, $19.2 million contract with the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent in July. He split 2025-26 between Charlotte and Chicago and averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists per game across 68 combined contests, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 40.1 percent from 3-point range.
Sexton’s Confidence Decides His Debut, Not the Calendar
By Redick’s own account, Sexton is physically on track, and his debut now depends on whether he trusts the calf. The Lakers can afford that bar. They won the opener by 22 points without him.
They also have a player on a two-year deal whose value depends on staying on the floor, and a soleus strain is the kind of injury that recurs if it’s rushed.
The waiting has a cost. With no camp and no preseason games, Sexton will get all of his time learning the new roster in regular-season games. The Lakers’ second unit, short on ballhandlers, will go without the guard it was built around until he’s ready.
The Lakers have decided a slower start is better than another trip to the injury report.
The Clippers Visit Friday
Sexton’s next chance to make his Lakers debut will be on Friday night at home against the LA Clippers on Oct. 23. ESPN’s injury report lists that game as his estimated return.
Based on Redick’s comments, the decision will come down to how confident Sexton feels after Thursday’s work.
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