Crypto.com Arena stands empty and the record reads 0-0, exactly where it sat all summer, with training camp still weeks from tipping off. Off the court, the only movement has come from the front office and the balance sheet, not the depth chart, still frozen at nineteen names.
A New Front Office
The Lakers hired Eric Amsler away from the Miami Heat to serve as assistant general manager, the Los Angeles Times and Hoops Rumors reported earlier this week. It is the desk's only confirmed move since the offseason opened, arriving while every position on the depth chart still sits unchanged.
Above the Line
The payroll sits at $201.3 million, already above the $200.4 million luxury tax line, anchored by Luka Dončić's $49.8 million and Austin Reaves' $41.2 million. Walker Kessler's $30.2 million is the next-largest number on the books, a reminder of how much of the spending is locked into just a handful of names.
Countdown to Kickoff
Preseason opens October 5 at Sacramento, with four exhibition games leading into the regular-season opener on October 21 against the Warriors on ESPN. Silver Screen and Roll has already raised the question of whether this is a make-or-break year for Bronny James, one of nineteen names on the training camp roster with no cuts made yet.
When do the Lakers play their first game of the 2026-27 season?
The Lakers open preseason on October 5 at the Kings, then start the regular season October 21 at home against the Warriors on ESPN.
Are the Lakers signing Nick Smith Jr.?
No. Hoopsrumors reported on September 12 that Nick Smith Jr. is close to signing with Real Madrid, a move unrelated to the Lakers roster.