LOS ANGELES — The NBA released the 2026-27 schedule for the Lakers on Thursday afternoon, setting the stage for their first season with Luka Doncic leading the franchise – and with a new ownership group on its way into L.A. after Wednesday’s shocking, record-setting $12.5 billion sale agreement to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.
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Already announced earlier this week, the Lakers will begin their season not on opening night, set for Oct. 20, for the first time since 2018. They’ll host the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21, before hosting the Clippers and former forward Rui Hachimura on Oct. 23 at Crypto.com Arena. Five of the Lakers’ first eight games will be played at home, with 13 games coming in the first four weeks.
The Lakers’ first road game will be Oct. 25 against the Utah Jazz. As with most years, the annual Grammys road trip will be the Lakers’ longest of the season, spanning seven games (at Indiana, New York, Charlotte, Boston, Brooklyn, San Antonio and Phoenix), highlighted by the visit to Madison Square Garden to face the defending champion Knicks on Jan. 30.
LeBron James will make his return to play the Lakers on Christmas Day – one of the already announced marquee games from the league – when the Philadelphia 76ers come to town. The Lakers will make a return trip to the City of Brotherly Love – where guard Quentin Grimes played over the past one-and-a-half seasons – to play James and the 76ers on March 4.
For the most part, the Lakers’ home-road splits are even month to month, but with the Grammys trip, the Lakers will play 16 of 26 games on the road in January and February. Following the All-Star break in Phoenix from Feb. 19-24, the Lakers will play four consecutive road games from Feb. 26 to March 4. From Nov. 27 through Dec. 2, the Lakers will play another four games on the road against the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers will also play on New Year’s Eve against the Pelicans in New Orleans.
Besides the lengthy Grammys trip, the Lakers will spend five games on the road from Nov. 8-15, playing Milwaukee, Cleveland, Houston (where former guard Marcus Smart signed), Memphis and Oklahoma City.
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The Lakers have 14 back-to-back sets and three five-game homestands (Dec. 21-29, March 6-14, April 4-11).
The Lakers will play five of their final six regular-season games at home, including a pair against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Earlier in the season, the Lakers will play consecutive road games against the Timberwolves (March 16-18), who added star guard LaMelo Ball to play alongside Anthony Edwards, to complete the four-game set.
The Lakers face the Clippers twice in their first five games – Oct. 23 at home and Oct. 28 at the Intuit Dome – then they meet again on Jan. 11 in Inglewood and Feb. 10 at Crypto.com Arena.
Two games will be decided later in the season (only 80 were announced), determined by the Lakers’ results in the NBA Cup. Planned NBA Cup group-stage games are Oct. 30 at Golden State, Nov. 6 at home against Portland, Nov. 20 at home vs. Sacramento and Nov. 27 at San Antonio. The Lakers will play just three games each against the Spurs and the Thunder.
Other notable games include the Lakers hosting the Boston Celtics on Jan. 7 and the Lakers traveling to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 28 for Doncic’s birthday. The Lakers have 34 nationally televised games, tied for the most in the NBA with the Spurs, Knicks and 76ers.
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LAKERS 2026-27 SCHEDULE
(All times Pacific)
OCTOBER
Oct. 21 – vs. Golden State, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 – vs. Clippers, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 – at Utah, 2 p.m.
Oct. 27 – vs. Portland, 8 p.m.
Oct. 28 – at Clippers, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 – at Golden State*, 7 p.m.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1 – vs. Toronto, 6 p.m.
Nov. 2 – vs. Miami, 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 – at Sacramento, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6 – vs. Portland*, 7 p.m.
Nov. 8 – at Detroit, 3 p.m.
Nov. 9 – at Atlanta, 4 p.m.
Nov. 11 – at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.
Nov. 15 – at Phoenix, 1 p.m.
Nov. 17 – vs. Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Nov. 18 – vs. Utah, 7 p.m.
Nov. 20 – vs. Sacramento*, 7 p.m.
Nov. 23 – vs. Utah, 7 p.m.
Nov. 27 – at San Antonio*, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 29 – at Memphis, 1 p.m.
Nov. 30 – at Houston, 4:30 p.m.
DECEMBER
Dec. 2 – at New Orleans, 5 p.m.
Dec. 4, 5, 8, 9, 11: NBA Cup knockout rounds
Dec. 6, 7, 10: Potential regular-season games pending NBA Cup results
Dec. 14 – vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 – at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 18 – at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Dec. 19 – at Denver, 6 p.m.
Dec. 21 – vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.
Dec. 23 – vs. Denver, 7 p.m.
Dec. 25 – vs. Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Dec. 27 – vs. Memphis, 6 p.m.
Dec. 29 – vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 31 – at New Orleans, 5 p.m.
JANUARY
Jan. 2 – at Chicago, 5 p.m.
Jan. 3 – at Toronto, 4 p.m.
Jan. 5 – at Washington, 4 p.m.
Jan. 7 – vs. Boston, 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 – vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.
Jan. 11 – at Clippers, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 – at Portland, 7 p.m.
Jan. 14 – vs. Orlando, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 – vs. Milwaukee, 6 p.m.
Jan. 19 – at Sacramento, 7 p.m.
Jan. 21 – at Golden State, 7 p.m.
Jan. 22 – vs. Sacramento, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 – vs. Washington, 1 p.m.
Jan. 26 – vs. Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Jan. 28 – at Indiana, 4 p.m.
Jan. 30 – at New York, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 – at Charlotte, 4 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Feb. 2 – at Boston, 5 p.m.
Feb. 4 – at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 6 – at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 8 – at Phoenix, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 – vs. Clippers, 7 p.m.
Feb. 12 – vs. Denver, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 16 – vs. Chicago, 7 p.m.
Feb. 18 – vs. Houston, 7 p.m.
Feb. 21 – NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix
Feb. 26 – at Denver, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28 – at Dallas, 12:30 p.m.
MARCH
March 2 – at Orlando, 4 p.m.
March 4 – at Philadelphia, 4 p.m.
March 6 – vs. Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m.
March 7 – vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.
March 11 – vs. New York, 7 p.m.
March 12 – vs. Cleveland, 7 p.m.
March 14 – vs. Golden State, 7 p.m.
March 16 – at Portland, 7 p.m.
March 17 – vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m.
March 19 – vs. Atlanta, 7 p.m.
March 21 – vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.
March 23 – at Miami, 5 p.m.
March 25 – at Cleveland, 4 p.m.
March 28 – at Houston, noon
March 30 – at Memphis, 5 p.m.
APRIL
April 1 – at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m.
April 4 – vs. San Antonio, 7 p.m.
April 6 – vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.
April 7 – vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.
April 9 – vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.
April 11 – vs. Phoenix, 5:30 p.m.
* – NBA Cup Group Play game