The Lakers are finally about to show their new look in a game that counts only for the scoreboard, but says plenty about what’s coming next. On Monday night at the Golden 1 Center, Luka Doncic and company open preseason against the Sacramento Kings, giving this reshaped roster its first real test after a week of training camp work.
For JJ Redick, the next five exhibition games are going to be a sorting exercise. He has made it clear that jobs are available, including two starting spots next to Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler, along with meaningful bench minutes. That alone gives this preseason opener some bite, because several players are stepping onto the floor with something to prove.
The names to watch are easy enough to spot. Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams are all in the mix for starting roles, while Adou Thiero and rookie Cameron Carr are trying to show they can help sooner rather than later. The competition for the last two spots in the starting group may be the headline, but the fight for rotation minutes could be just as interesting.
Health is another piece of the puzzle. Teams always want to enter the season clean, though that usually doesn’t happen.
The Lakers will be keeping tabs on players who have had injury issues in the past or saw limited action last season, including Kessler, Thybulle and Kevon Looney, who played a combined 56 regular-season gams during the 2026-27 campaign. Redick has not announced any injuries during camp, but that can always change before tipoff.
The defensive wing battle is especially worth watching. Thybulle and Williams have both drawn praise in camp for their effort and for what they bring on that end, which matters for a team that lost Marcus Smart.
The question now is which one Redick trusts more. Thybulle could wind up being the perimeter stopper the Lakers lean on most, while Williams also has a path to minutes.
Carr and Thiero could work their way into that conversation too.
Kessler is another major piece of this puzzle. In theory, he fits cleanly next to Doncic and Reaves because he gives Los Angeles the lob threat and rim protection it lacked last season with Deandre Ayton.
Whether that works the same way once the games start is the part that still needs answering, but the upside is obvious. The Lakers paid heavily in the sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, and Kessler will have every chance to show that move was worth it.
Mamukelashvili may be the player best positioned to settle one of the biggest questions quickly. He has traveled a long road in the league, moving from a two-way deal to a four-year contract with the Lakers this offseason, and he brings size, toughness and enough shooting to matter in the frontcourt. If he clicks next to Kessler, he could end the debate at power forward before it really gets going.
There are plenty of other roster-bubble names in the mix too, including Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden Hardy. For a team with so many new pieces, these five preseason games are going to matter a lot more than the label suggests.
The opener in Sacramento is just the first step, but it already carries a long list of questions that need answers before the season opener on Oct. 21.
In Other News...
Warriors Got An Early Look At A Lakers Question That Still Matters
Ahead of the Lakers second preseason game against the Warriors, JJ Redick made it clear this was going to be more of a look-and-learn night than a full dress rehearsal. Nearly half the roster sat, including several key names, and the result was a one-sided loss that mattered less on the scoreboard than in the small roster battles still unfolding beneath it.
Jarred Vanderbilt once again flashed the defensive value that has long made him an interesting piece in Los Angeles, even as his offense stayed limited. On the other end, Jaden Hardy showed some scoring ability but also gave the ball away too often, which is the kind of preseason tradeoff that can linger into the regular season. With roster spots still unsettled, these kinds of performances are part of the evaluation the Lakers will keep weighing as they move closer to opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Is Defining His Voice For This New-Look Lakers Team
Austin Reaves is stepping into a different kind of spotlight this fall, with the Lakers asking him to help guide a roster that now has to move forward without LeBron James. Coming off a strong season, Reaves is no longer just one of the reliable pieces around the stars, he is becoming one of the voices the team will lean on as it tries to establish a new identity.
Reaves has been clear about the kind of leadership he prefers, and it is not built around public callouts or dramatic scenes. He sees it as something more personal, rooted in one-on-one conversations and calm accountability, a style that fits his approach and the way he connects with teammates. For the Lakers, the question is not just whether he can produce, but whether that quieter voice can help set the tone for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Kept This Lakers Loss From Feeling Like Just Preseason
The preseason opener in San Francisco carried more than the usual September exhibition feel, with the Warriors turning it into Nellie Night in honor of the late Don Nelson. Golden State wore yellow Nellie patches on its jerseys, a nod to the coach who helped shape the franchise and, for Stephen Curry, the rookie-season veteran whose influence still lingers as one of the defining figures in his early NBA path.
Curry helped make sure the night had some edge for the Lakers, too. He played 14 minutes and scored 16 points as Golden State rolled to a 124-98 win, giving the game a little more weight than a typical tune-up. The teams will meet again in the regular season on October 21, when the stakes will be real and the Lakers will get their first chance to respond. [Read more 🡒]