The Los Angeles Lakers will begin the 2026–27 season with a new hierarchy and no margin for a slow start. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves now lead the franchise after LeBron James’ eight-year Lakers run ended in free agency.
JJ Redick’s team faces several defining home games during the season’s first three months. Golden State opens the slate at Crypto.com Arena on October 21. Phoenix visits on November 15, San Antonio arrives on November 27, Philadelphia comes to Los Angeles on Christmas Day, and Boston follows on January 7.
Those matchups bring together rival stars, emerging contenders, and a return of the biggest name from the Lakers’ previous era. They will also offer an early read on whether Dončić and Reaves can establish the identity Los Angeles needs in the Western Conference.
Warriors Open A New Lakers Era
The Lakers host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on October 21, immediately putting Dončić and Reaves on center stage. It will be the first full Lakers season without James since 2017–18, and a home game opener against Curry’s Warriors ensures the transition will not unfold quietly.
Golden State remains a difficult matchup because Curry can bend a defense before the first screen arrives. The Lakers will need disciplined rotations, strong point-of-attack defense, and a serious commitment on the glass. Dončić can answer that pressure by controlling the pace and creating high-value shots, while Reaves’ ability to attack closeouts will matter when the Warriors send extra attention toward Dončić.
The Warriors carry +6000 championship odds, while the Lakers sit at +3000. Los Angeles enters with the stronger title price, but a rivalry opener can change the tone around either team in a hurry.
A win would not define the Lakers’ season. It would establish that the club can handle a major national spotlight without James, beginning with an opponent that helped shape many of his biggest Lakers regular-season moments.
Phoenix And San Antonio Bring Different Tests
Phoenix visits on Nov. 15 in a Pacific Division matchup with added importance for a Lakers team seeking early control of its division series. According to Arizona sports betting coverage, the Suns carry +12000 championship odds, compared with the Lakers at +3000, but the long number does not make Phoenix an easy opponent.
Division games can turn on familiarity. The Suns will know where Los Angeles wants to attack, and the Lakers will need to avoid careless turnovers that fuel transition opportunities. The central question will be whether Los Angeles can control the pace, keep Phoenix off the fast break, and force contested shots late in possessions.
The Lakers should look to make the game physical. Reaves can create pressure at the foul line, while Dončić’s ability to pull two defenders toward him can generate the clean catch-and-shoot looks Redick’s offense needs. Phoenix will test whether the Lakers can defend without overhelping.
San Antonio presents a different challenge when it arrives on November 27. The Spurs enter the season at +260 championship odds, among the shortest title prices in the league. That standing reflects a young roster that has quickly become a serious contender.
Victor Wembanyama creates problems no standard scouting report fully solves. His rim protection changes where opponents take shots, and his length can disrupt passing lanes even when he is not near the ball. The Lakers need to create early offense before San Antonio sets its defense, then trust Dončić to manipulate matchups in the half-court.
For Reaves, this game offers a chance to show he can thrive as more than a secondary scorer. San Antonio will focus heavily on Dončić. Reaves must punish the openings that are created through pull-up threes, drives, and quick decisions as a passer.
LeBron Returns On Christmas
The Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers on December 25 in the most emotional game of their early schedule. James will return to Crypto.com Arena in a Sixers uniform after ending his eight-year Lakers tenure.
The occasion will bring inevitable attention, but it also puts the Lakers’ new direction into focus. Dončić and Reaves now own the lead roles in Los Angeles. Christmas will show the full NBA audience how far the team has moved into its next chapter.
Philadelphia enters with +850 championship odds, while Los Angeles remains at +3000. The 76ers have the firepower to make this one of the season’s toughest early tests, with James joining a group led by Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The Lakers cannot allow the event to overwhelm their execution. James knows the building and understands the franchise’s expectations. Los Angeles must defend Embiid without overcommitting to the paint, stay connected to Philadelphia’s perimeter threats, and make James work through every possession.
The game gives Dončić a chance to make a clear statement. He is no longer sharing the lead role with James. A strong Christmas performance would reinforce that the Lakers’ future has arrived.
Celtics Renew A Historic Rivalry
Boston visits Los Angeles on January 7 for the first meeting of the season between the NBA’s most famous rivals. The Celtics hold +1400 championship odds and remain one of the league’s most dangerous teams, even after reshaping their roster during the offseason.
The Celtics will test the Lakers’ physicality and late-game poise. Jayson Tatum remains the central problem. He can score at all three levels, and Boston’s spacing punishes defenses that hesitate on switches or lose shooters after help rotations.
Redick will need a plan that prevents Dončić from carrying too much defensive responsibility while preserving enough offense for Los Angeles to trade baskets when necessary. The Lakers will need Reaves to play decisively, both as a scorer and a connector when Boston pressures Dončić.
This game matters beyond the history of the rivalry. By January 7, the Lakers should have a clearer sense of their rotation, closing lineup, and chemistry between Dončić and Reaves. Boston will expose any weakness in those areas.
The first three months will not decide a championship. They can shape a season’s confidence, public perception, and tiebreaker position. The Lakers have five major opportunities to show that life after James is not a rebuild. It is a new chapter built around Dončić, Reaves, and Redick’s system.
