Lakers still waiting on Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton preseason debuts

The Lakers still do not have a confirmed preseason debut date for Walker Kessler or Collin Sexton after Saturday’s practice. Coach JJ Redick said Kessler participated without doing live work, while Sexton remains further behind in his recovery.

The Los Angeles Times and Lakers Nation reported Redick’s October 10 comments. Kessler is managing a finger injury and Sexton a lower-leg issue. Both offseason additions have missed the team’s first three preseason games.

Practice progress, not game clearance

Redick would not commit to Kessler playing in the next exhibition against Golden State in Las Vegas. “He was in practice today. No live today but he did everything else,” the coach said, according to Lakers Nation. Redick said the staff would see whether Kessler could do live work at the next practice before deciding on game availability.

The injury happened when Kessler hit his finger on the backboard during a drill. The Times reported that Redick considers it minor enough to play through in the regular season. That assessment is not the same as clearance for the next preseason game.

Sexton again had a modified practice, and Redick described him as “probably a little bit further behind” Kessler. The coach did not supply a firm debut date for either player.

Without Kessler, the Lakers have used Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center. Redick pointed to boxing out and collective rebounding as areas that need work, while noting the importance of bigger wings in those lineups.

The remaining exhibitions offer a chance to test more complete rotations if the injured players return. For now, Saturday’s update establishes partial practice participation for Kessler and continued modified work for Sexton, not a guaranteed appearance against the Warriors.