The Los Angeles Lakers received an encouraging update on Collin Sexton as they prepare for their regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors.

Coach JJ Redick said Thursday that Sexton participated in everything except the live portion of practice and was “trending in the right direction” toward playing opening night, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The update offers reason for optimism, though it doesn't confirm Sexton will be available. His absence from live action remains an important distinction as the Lakers assess his readiness.

L.A. opens its season against Golden State on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena, according to the team’s official schedule. That gives Sexton additional time to progress before the Lakers begin games that count.

For Redick, having Sexton available would provide another option as he begins sorting through a reworked rotation.

Sexton’s value begins with his ability to attack.

The Lakers can use another guard willing to push the pace, get into the paint and create scoring opportunities when an initial action breaks down. That becomes especially useful when Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves heads to the bench.

Rather than asking one player to generate every quality possession, Redick could use Sexton to share some of that responsibility.

His speed also offers a different way to pressure a defense. Getting the ball up the floor quickly can create opportunities before opponents organize their coverage, while aggressive drives can force help defenders to leave teammates.

The challenge will be combining that aggression with sound decisions.

Playing alongside established creators requires knowing when to attack and when to move the ball. Sexton would not need to dominate possessions to contribute. He could make an impact by taking advantage of openings created by the attention Dončić and Reaves attract.

His availability would also give Redick more flexibility when choosing which guards to pair throughout a game.

Thursday’s participation was encouraging, but individual drills and other practice work do not fully reproduce the demands of competition.

Live possessions require sudden changes of direction, contact and repeated defensive reactions. Until Sexton progresses through that stage, there remains uncertainty about his readiness for regular-season minutes.

The Lakers also need to consider how much they can reasonably ask of him immediately after his return.

Being available for opening night would not necessarily mean taking on a full workload. Redick could have to balance Sexton’s conditioning and comfort with the team’s needs during the game.

For now, the positive development is that Sexton is participating in more of practice with the opener approaching.

The Lakers still need to see him clear the remaining steps. But Redick’s assessment gives them a better outlook than an update indicating Sexton had stalled or remained unable to participate.

His status remains worth watching as L.A. prepares to face Golden State.