After an offseason that reshaped the roster, the Lakers already know two dates that will jump off the 2026-27 NBA schedule for their fans.
The first comes right at the start of the season. Los Angeles will open on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
That means the Lakers will not be part of the league’s first official day on Oct. 20, which is the first time that has happened since 2018. The season’s opening night will feature three games: the Detroit Pistons at the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, the Philadelphia 76ers against the defending NBA champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and a Western Conference Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center.
The Lakers’ opener still has plenty of juice. With Luka Doncic and Curry set to go head-to-head, it should be one of the early must-watch games on the league calendar.
Before that, Doncic is bringing the team together for a four-day minicamp in his home country of Slovenia, beginning on Aug. 20. It’s another step as the Lakers try to build chemistry around a new-look core centered on Doncic and Austin Reaves as the post-LeBron James era begins.
The other marquee date for Lakers fans is Christmas Day. Los Angeles will host the 76ers on Dec. 25, setting up LeBron James’ return to Los Angeles to face his former team in one of the biggest matchups of the season. James left the Lakers this summer as a free agent after nearly a decade in purple and gold, a run that included the franchise’s 17th NBA title.
That Christmas matchup is hardly a surprise. The Lakers and 76ers felt like natural candidates for either opening night or the holiday showcase, and the league chose the latter. The NBA will again play five games on Christmas Day for the 19th straight year, with ABC and ESPN carrying each one.
The full 2026-27 schedule arrives on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 3:00 PM ET, but Lakers fans already have a few more dates in mind. The second meeting with the 76ers, plus games against the Spurs, Thunder, Celtics, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks, figure to draw plenty of attention once the complete slate is out.
In Other News...
Klay Thompson Just Raised A Real Mavericks Question About His Future
Klay Thompsons future in Dallas has become one of those situations that can hang over a team long before any decision actually gets made. He is in the final year of his contract with the Mavericks, and while the club has explored trade possibilities, nothing has come together yet. That alone would make him a notable name to watch, but the chatter around him has only grown because of where he already sits in the broader NBA conversation.
Mychal Thompson, Klays father and a former Lakers player who now works as a broadcaster, has openly said he would welcome a move to Los Angeles for his son, and the Lakers have been linked to interest as well. Miami has reportedly been mentioned in the mix too, which only adds another layer to a situation that feels more open than settled. For the Mavericks, the real issue is not just whether Thompson stays or goes, but whether this becomes a decision they are forced to make before the season even reaches its critical stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Still Have A Real Shot At Filling A Frontcourt Need
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Cleveland remains in the conversation too, and for a team trying to fortify its front line, that matters because the Cavs and Lakers are still seen as the most realistic places Kuminga could land. The most workable route appears to be a sign-and-trade, which keeps the door open even as the negotiations sit in a holding pattern and the next move is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Got A Jonathan Kuminga Opening They Needed
Jonathan Kumingas market has been tricky for weeks, and the Lakers have remained in the middle of it while trying to find a path that fits both their roster and their willingness to pay. Los Angeles has been pursuing the forward for more than two months, and the club has already put a sign-and-trade framework on the table worth around $45 million, a sign that it is serious about trying to land a player whose upside still has teams around the league paying attention.
The roadblock has been less about talent than contract expectations, with Kuminga unwilling to settle for a veteran minimum one-year deal and other interested teams, including the Kings and Timberwolves, running into the same salary issues. Atlantas recent decision to hand his jersey number to another player only adds to the sense that the Hawks are not counting on keeping him, which could leave Los Angeles in a stronger position than it has been in for most of this process. [Read more 🡒]