The Luka Dončić era begins at Crypto.com Arena tonight.
The Slovenian superstar leads a new-look Los Angeles Lakers squad in their season opener against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
It's been a whirlwind offseason in L.A. marked on the basketball side by LeBron James' high profile departure and the ensuing roster overhaul that saw the Lakers add nine new faces, headlined by a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz to acquire Walker Kessler to be their center of the future. Off the court, a $12.5 billion sale to Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger – and the Buss family legal drama followed – dominated headlines with owner Mark Walter's ongoing federal investigation serving as the backdrop.
All of that
will continue to develop as the season progresses. But none of it will matter when the ball goes up tonight.
Here are the three biggest storylines the Lakers face entering 2026-27:
How long will it take the Lakers to gel?
The Lakers have an almost entirely new look shaped around Dončić and Austin Reaves. Kessler was the crown jewel of the offseason, arriving via trade from Utah in exchange for what essentially remained of L.A.'s tradeable draft capital.
President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka filled out the rest of the roster with players who could shoot, dribble and pass: Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle and Jaden Hardy.
This is the deepest the Lakers have been in a while, but there are so many new faces that they're almost impossible to predict right now. It doesn't help that the new big three of Dončić, Reaves and Kessler only played 13 minutes together in the preseason.
JJ Redick abhors predictions, but did tell reporters on Tuesday that the biggest unknown with this team to him is how they'll handle adversity, and how that'll show up over an 82-game season.
"That's different for every team," he said. "And that's different maybe how we deal with adversity in November versus how we deal with adversity in March. Hopefully there's growth throughout the season so that we can deal with adversity in the right way, and that ultimately will prepare us for a deep playoff run."
Can Walker Kessler live up to the legacy of Lakers centers?
George Mikan. Wilt. Kareem. Shaq. Pau Gasol. Anthony Davis.
Kessler is walking (no pun intended) into a long line of Laker greats to have played the five, all of whom have hardware to show for it. Superstars have crumbled under the magnifying glass that comes with wearing the purple and gold. How is Kessler dealing with it all?
"The energy's great," he told reporters Tuesday. "I remember being in Utah. Every time we played the Lakers at L.A. I was there for Luka’s opening night, and ... it was insane. The fan base is unreal, their energy is great and playing for that, obviously … you can place on yourself a little bit of pressure. But for me, I just look at it as an opportunity to compete for a such a great franchise."
More than just a debut, Wednesday is also set to be the first time Kessler takes an NBA floor since last Halloween. He tore his left labrum after just five games and missed the remainder of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery.
He's been described as a "perfect fit" alongside Dončić and Reaves by both Redick and Pelinka. He's automatically the best rim protector the Lakers have had since trading away AD. There hasn't been much time to hit the ground running, but Kessler's relishing every moment of it.
What does Austin Reaves the leader look like?
With LeBron's departure, Reaves graduates from the Lakers' third option to Luka's right-hand man. That – and his shiny new $184.76 million contract – comes with more responsibility.
Dončić has seen it, telling reporters on media day that Reaves has become much more vocal with his teammates. Redick said he's "been the leader in the gym every day" since returning from the Slovenia trip. Reaves himself described his leadership style as less confrontational, he prefers pulling guys aside and having one-on-one conversations. He's not an in-your-face, admonish you in front of everybody kind of player.
"I'm not gonna lead the same Bron does, I'm not gonna lead the same way Luka does," Reaves told reporters at media day. "I like to do things a little different."
How to watch Lakers season opener vs Warriors on Wednesday
Here's everything you need to know about how to tune into Lakers vs Warriors, including start time, location, TV channel and streaming.
All times are Pacific.
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 21
- Time: 7 p.m. PT
- Location: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles)
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, Fubo
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 storylines the Lakers face entering season opener against the Warriors
