Where They Stand
The post-LeBron Lakers are fully here: James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, and the franchise now belongs unquestionably to Luka Dončić. Head coach JJ Redick, in his third season, has overhauled the roster — nine new players — headlined by the sign-and-trade acquisition of Walker Kessler (four years, $130M) from Utah and the re-signing of Austin Reaves to a four-year, $184.8M max deal. The Lakers went 53-29 last season, beat Houston in six, then got swept by Oklahoma City in the conference semifinals.
Redick has named Dončić, Reaves and Kessler as his three locks to start, with Quentin Grimes the likely fourth starter and an open competition — a "highly competitive camp," Redick said — for the final spot. ESPN's cameras will be in the building twice in preseason: Oct 8 vs. Sacramento on ESPN2 and Oct 16 vs. Denver on ESPN. The regular-season opener is Oct 21 against Golden State.
The Squad
Luka Dončić
Austin Reaves
Walker Kessler
Quentin Grimes
Collin Sexton
Jake LaRavia
Ziaire Williams
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Matisse Thybulle
Jarred Vanderbilt
Kevon Looney
Dalton Knecht
Upcoming Games
Team News
JJ Redick Shares Where He Expects New-Look Lakers To Improve
Redick expects better paint touches, higher three-point volume and stronger offensive rebounding after last season's top-10 offense — with the roster now built to play the way he coaches.
Lakers Will Be "Championship-Level Team" This Year: Redick Bleeds Optimism
In his first camp presser, Redick backed the overhauled roster despite doubters: "The games are not played on paper." He also said the roster fits better without LeBron than it did during his era.
ESPN to Televise Two Lakers Preseason Games
The Lakers landed two of ESPN's five national preseason windows: Oct 8 vs. Sacramento (ESPN2) and Oct 16 vs. Denver (ESPN).