The Los Angeles Lakers open the preseason with a pair of games in Palm Desert, California’s Acrisure Arena against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
On Thursday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will participate in the early portion of the preseason schedule but noted he’s unsure of their minutes just yet.
“Still talking through it,” Redick said Thursday after the team’s training camp session, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “They’re going to play this weekend. But we’re still talking through what minutes and rotations look like for everybody.”
L.A. faces a six-game preseason. After this weekend, the Lakers will visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 10 before heading to Las Vegas for an Oct. 15 matchup against the Golden State Warriors. L.A. then hits the road for two matchups on Oct. 17 and 18 against the Suns and Warriors, respectively.
The Lakers’ regular season begins at home on Oct. 22 versus Minnesota.
As noted by McMenamin, James and Davis participated in last year’s preseason but saw their action limited at times: “James sat L.A.’s first game and Davis sat in the third, with the pair both logging fewer than 20 minutes in game No. 2.”
James and Davis just helped Team USA win gold at the Summer Olympics, so they’ve played a lot of basketball this year. Rest is paramount for the duo, especially the 39-year-old James, who enters his 22nd NBA season. The 31-year-old Davis is beginning his 13th NBA campaign.
They don’t need to be playing a lot of preseason basketball, but it’s also important for them to get some work in with their teammates, especially with Redick beginning his first season as the Lakers’ head coach.
Ultimately, they’ll be getting some run early on, perhaps Friday against Minnesota.