The Lakers still sit at 0-0, but September's small moves are starting to define camp: Austin Reaves says nobody moves quite like Dončić, and the bench now must replace what LeBron James gave it last season. Preseason opens October 5 at Sacramento, with the Warriors visiting for the regular-season opener on ESPN October 21.
Reaves on the Rhythm
Austin Reaves said no one can replicate the pace and style Dončić plays, per Lakers Nation, a notable line from a locker room still weeks from tip-off. Dončić averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 35.8 minutes a game last season, the tempo Reaves is describing. Camp opens ahead of an October 5 preseason opener at the Kings, with three more preseason meetings against the Warriors before the October 21 regular-season opener on ESPN.
Twenty-One and Counting
The roster now carries twenty-one names since Meechie Johnson and Chase Ross signed Exhibit 10 deals, reported September 19 by Law Murray. Anton Watson signed a similar deal on September 17, per Dan Woike, and left the roster within a day. Payroll stands at $201.3 million, above the $200.4 million luxury line, with a $49.8 million salary for Dončić the largest number on the books.
The Bench LeBron Left
Over his last five games last season, LeBron James scored 20 or more points off the bench four separate times, a burst of production now gone with him to Philadelphia. Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht are the names left to fill that gap, none of them tested yet in that exact role. Camp will start answering the question; the record, for now, stays at 0-0.
When do the Lakers play their first preseason game?
The Lakers open the preseason October 5 on the road against the Kings, then play the Warriors three more times before the regular-season opener October 21.
Is the roster around Dončić set for 2026-27?
The roster carries twenty-one players after Exhibit 10 signings this month, with Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes anchoring the group around Dončić.
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