LOS ANGELES — The Lakers return to Crypto.com Arena on Thursday to face the Sacramento Kings in their preseason home opener, looking for a sharper performance after Tuesday’s one-sided loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles has split its first two exhibitions, opening with a 127-103 win in Sacramento before falling in San Francisco with several key players unavailable. The rematch against the Kings gives JJ Redick another opportunity to evaluate his rotation as the Lakers work toward getting their main contributors on the floor together.
Here are three things to watch in the Lakers’ third preseason game.
Will the main guys be available?
The Lakers have yet to get a preseason look at Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler on the floor together. Whether that changes Thursday is the first thing to monitor.
Dončić rested against Golden State after a 21-point outing in Sacramento. Reaves and Kessler have missed both games after Reaves tweaked his ankle and Kessler jammed his finger during training camp, per Redick.
The Lakers also played without Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma against the Warriors, leaving Redick with a different group from the one that opened the preseason.
Getting more of those players back would allow L.A. to build on its encouraging debut.
If Reaves plays, watch how Redick divides the ball-handling responsibilities and uses him alongside Grimes. If Kessler is available, his screening, finishing and rim protection would give the Lakers their first game look at another major part of their offseason additions.
Avoiding another slow start
Redick called the Lakers’ start against Golden State and their slow first half unacceptable. Thursday offers an immediate chance to respond.
The Warriors scored 45 points in the first quarter and had 81 by halftime. Missing several rotation players helps explain the difficult matchup, but Redick’s reaction made clear that he still expected better execution from whoever is on the floor.
Watch whether the Lakers establish their defensive pressure early from the jump.
L.A. had 13 steals against Golden State after collecting 15 and forcing 26 turnovers against Sacramento. The disruption has been there. The next step is pairing it with more consistent defense throughout a possession.
A stronger opening quarter would be a meaningful response to Redick’s criticism.
Grimes continues his push to start
Quentin Grimes has made a strong early case for one of the Lakers’ two open starting spots. He has started both games thus far in the preseason.
He scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Sacramento and followed with 12 points and three assists against Golden State. His ability to contribute with Dončić and take on more responsibility without him has been encouraging.
JJ Redick on how he envisions Quentin Grimes' role for the season, the defensive versatility with their wing depth, and where Adou is at physically: pic.twitter.com/6MwvWlHrlj
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 7, 2026
Thursday provides another opportunity to watch his decision-making, defense and movement away from the ball. If more starters return, his ability to complement them will become especially relevant.
Grimes is making it harder for Redick to leave him out of the starting five. Another productive outing would strengthen that argument.