The Los Angeles Lakers have officially released their 2019-20 NBA preseason schedule which features six games, the team announced on May 30.
LeBron James and the Lakers will open the preseason against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at the all-new Chase Center in San Francisco.
For the first time since the 2013-14 preseason, the Lakers will travel to China where they will host the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
They will then return to Los Angeles for two games before returning to San Francisco for their final three preseason games against the Warriors.
Here is the full 2019-20 NBA preseason schedule (PST):
| Date | Opponent | City | Arena | Time (local) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 5 | @ Warriors | San Francisco | Chase Center | 5:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 10 | @ Nets | Shanghai, China | Mercedes-Benz Arena | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 12 | vs. Nets | Shenzhen, China | Universiade Sports Center | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 14 | vs. Warriors | Los Angeles | Staples Center | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 16 | vs. Warriors | Los Angeles | Staples Center | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 18 | @ Warriors | San Francisco | Chase Center | 7:30 p.m. |
Ticket information for the games will be available at a later date.
As the Warriors are on the brink of winning four championships in five consecutive NBA Finals appearances, the Lakers are attempting to construct a roster in the 2019 NBA Draft and free agency that is capable of contending.
While the Warriors are already one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties of all time, Kevin Durant’s impending free agency could completely change the landscape. If Durant does not re-sign with the Warriors, there have been multiple reports of him potentially signing with the New York Knicks.
Along with a potentially new-looked Warriors for the 2019-20 season, the same can be said for the Nets. After D’Angelo Russell and the Nets ended their three-year playoff drought, they are an up-and-coming team and reportedly a free agency destination for Kyrie Irving and others.
With two good matchups to prepare the Lakers for the regular season, all of the attention will be on who joins James in the starting lineup for head coach Frank Vogel. From the young core to Anthony Davis, there will be opportunities to significantly improve the roster but it is unclear how the drama-filled start to the offseason will impact them.