PALM DESERT, Calif. — The long illustrious history of the Los Angeles Lakers adds another milestone on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. Their NBA G League affiliate, officially rebranded as the Coachella Valley Lakers, moves into their new home Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
The Lakers make Palm Desert their permanent home for all their G League games in the 2026–27 season, moving from El Segundo where the team had their home games in the Lakers practice facility.
The Lakers made the Greater Palm Springs area their home away from home in the 1980s and 1990s. When then owner Dr. Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979, he would hold the team’s training camp in the Palm Springs area. Dr. Buss owned the iconic Ocotillo Lodge in Palm Springs; this is where the team stayed during the preseason period.
The Team would practice at the College of the Desert campus in Palm Desert, a place NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy visited last week.
Speaking of James Worthy, he was a part of the infamous “Camp Hell” training camps by Showtime Lakers Head Coach Pat Riley held in the 1980s. Notable Laker greats were apart of these training camps in the greater Palm Springs are: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Mychal Thompson. These training camps would be the starting point of five Laker championships in the 1980s.
The team would also have the 1991 and 1997 training camps in Palm Springs. 1997 is notable because both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant could be found training on the hardwood floor of College of the Desert.
In late 2022, the Oak View Group led by Tim Leiweke in partnership with the Seattle Kraken of the NHL, built a state-of -the-art arena known as Acrisure Arena. The cost of the arena was around $290 million and was built to house over 11,000 fans. The arena was built initially to be the home of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.
With a new arena in the greater Palm Springs area, it was only a matter of time before the Los Angeles Lakers returned to their home away from home.
The Lakers would return to the greater palm springs area on Oct. 6, 2024, in a preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The game would feature the NBA’s first-ever instance where a father and son would share the court together in an NBA game with LeBron James sharing the floor with his son Bronny James Jr. That matchup had a total attendance of 9,494 fans.
The tradition would continue the following year with another Lakers matchup against the Phoenix Suns with a total attendance of 9,122 fans.
This past season the lakers would not play a preseason game at Acrisure Arena because of the impending arrival of their G League affiliate.
On Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers G League affiliate starts its third iteration.
The first iteration came as the Los Angeles D-Fenders from 2006-2017. From 2006-2010, the D-Fenders would play at Staples Center on Laker gamedays. Notably in April 2007, former UCLA Bruin Jordan Farmar became the first player in basketball history to play in both a G League and NBA game on the same day.
The team would capture two Western Conference titles in 2012 and 2016.
In 2017 the team would rebrand as the South Bay Lakers and would play their games at Lakers practice facility known as the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California.
In their final season known as the South Bay Lakers, the team finished with a 26-10 record, finishing first in the G League Western Conference. The team was led by Chris Mañon who would finish second in the Defensive Player of the Year award. Bronny James also played in twelve games averaging 15.2 points per game and 4.2 assist per game.
Zac Guthrie was the head coach of last year’s team and would be promoted onto Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s coaching staff for the 2026–27 season.
With Guthrie’s promotion, that would leave the newly named Coachella Valley Lakers in search of its first head coach in this new iteration.
On Oct. 13, 2026, Alex Cerda was officially introduced as head coach of the Coachella Valley Lakers.
Cerda had served as an assistant coach under Zac Guthrie in the previous three seasons in the Lakers organization.
Cerda has deep ties to the Coachella Valley. A Dallas, Texas native would visit the Coachella Valley in the summer. Cerda’s stepfather served for 20 years as a U.S. Marine and was stationed in nearby Twentynine Palms.
"I know this area pretty well. To be able to coach professional basketball in this area in front of my family, it's a surreal, full-circle moment." Said Coach Cerda in his introductory press conference.
Cerda began his coaching journey as a Head Video Coordinator and Player development coach witht eh Fort Wayne Mad Ants from 2016-2018. His career would then take him to the Los Angeles Clippers from 2018-2020 as an Assistant Video Coordinator.
Prior to his arrival in the Lakers organization, he would spend three seasons with the Texas Legends and an Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator.
This past summer he would experience his first head coaching opportunity. He would lead the Brampton Honey Badgers of the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League). The Honey Badgers would finish with a 11-13 regular season record and a 2-1 record in the playoffs, winning the Eastern Conference Title and a runner-up finish in the CEBL Finals.
This year’s roster will be highlighted by Chris Mañon, Arthur Kaluma, and Lawson Lovering. All three on two-way contracts with the Lakers.
Chris Mañon last season played in 33 games averaging 10.3 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, 2.2 assist per game and 1.9 steals per game. He was named to the G League All defensive Team large in part due to having 27 games in having multiple steals.
Arthur Kaluma earned a two-way roster spot after a tremendous summer league. Kaluma averaged 17.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Kaluma was on the South Bay Laker roster a season ago, averaging 14.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Lawson Lovering was the final two-way roster player added to the Lakers. Lovering spent last season in the Memphis Grizzlies organization playing two games with the Grizzlies and 30 games for the Memphis Hustle. In the G League last year he played in 30 games, avegring 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. The hope for Lovering is that he can ascend and move up to the Laker roster who are in desperate need for another center.
Bronny James who appeared in 12 G League games last year, is set to play in the team’s home opener in Palm Desert. Bronny is in year three after being selected 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
James Jr would often put up big numbers in his time at the G League. In his two seasons in the G League, Bronny has a career average of 18.4 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds per game. His career field goal percentage is at 49.6% and 42.3% from three-point range.
Bronny had a season high 39 points against the Santa Cruz Warriors in March of 2025.
The Coachella Valley Lakers will not only see on-court production from James but revenue at the Box Office as well. Most of the chatter in the Coachella Valley has been whether or not James would suit up in Palm Desert, he will in the team’s home opener Nov. 6.
Another notable name to play at Acrisure Arena is Cameron Carr, who the Lakers selected 24th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. Carr hasn’t seen much run with the Lakers throughout preseason and the start of the regular season. The Lakers will use the G League as a platform for their first-round pick to get reps in.
Carr was at Baylor in his final collegiate season, averaging 18.9 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game. He shot 36.7% from three-point range and had a 61.8% true shooting percentage.
Carr has quickly become a fan favorite. In a Lakers home game against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 1, Carr got a thunderous ovation as he checked in.
The Coachella Valley Lakers open their inaugural season in Palm Desert on Nov. 6, 2026 against the Salt Lake City Stars. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and will emanate from Acrisure Arena.
The season will run from November to March with the final game of the regular season scheduled for March 27, 2027, against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
A new but familiar era of Lakers basketball begins Friday in the greater Palm Springs Area.
COACHELLA VALLEY LAKERS 2026–27 ROSTER
- No. 43 Cameron Carr — G, 6-5, 182, Baylor, USA (Assignment)
- No. 0 Jace Carter — G, 6-6, 225, Texas A&M, USA (Affiliate)
- No. 9 Bronny James Jr. — G, 6-2, 223, USC, USA (Assignment)
- No. 5 Meechie Johnson — G, 6-2, 180, South Carolina, USA (Affiliate)
- No. 47 Arthur Kaluma — F, 6-7, 225, Texas, USA (Two-Way)
- No. 45 William Kyle III — C, 6-9, 230, Syracuse, USA (Affiliate)
- No. 18 Lawson Lovering — C, 7-0, 245, Utah, USA (Two-Way)
- No. 30 Chris Mañon — G, 6-4, 209, Vanderbilt, USA (Two-Way)
- No. 31 AK Okereke — F, 6-7, 244, Vanderbilt, USA (Affiliate)
- No. 2 Chase Ross — G, 6-5, 205, Marquette, USA (Affiliate)
- No. 11 Raysean Seamster — F, 6-7, 200, UT Arlington, Cameroon (Affiliate)
- No. 21 Cole Swider — F, 6-8, 220, Syracuse, USA (Returning)
- No. 29 Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones — G, 6-6, 200, UC San Diego, New Zealand (Affiliate)
- No. 22 Anton Watson — F, 6-8, 225, Gonzaga, USA (Returning)
- No. 17 Jahmir Young — G, 6-0, 185, Maryland, USA (Trade)
STAFF
- Head Coach: Alex Cerda (Texas)
- Assistant Coaches: Liam Flynn (University of South Australia), Johnny Taylor (Chattanooga), Jordan McGuire (Louisiana Tech), Jerome Tillman (Ohio), Tevin Falzon (Sacred Heart)
- Head Athletic Trainer: Juan Torres (Cal State Fullerton)
- Assistant Athletic Trainer: Bryan Tachibana (Miami)
- Strength and Conditioning Coach: Nathaniel Culbreath (Houston Christian)
- Equipment Manager: Lucas Cortez (California)