When it comes to the NBA Preseason in 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers have maxed out.
This season, the team will enter the regular season with six preseason games in the bag. When discussing the busy schedule recently, Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated that the situation is “awesome.” However, everything in scheduling comes with its pros and cons.
“It’s something to be discussed I think going forward,” Redick told reporters, according to the LA Times. “I think it’s awesome. I really do because we got to play in Palm Springs and I think it’s awesome that we get to play in Vegas and I recognize that there’s Lakers fans all over the world that maybe don’t get the chance to see us play.”
Sep 29, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Lakers are one of the most recognizable teams in basketball. While they didn’t get one of the games outside of NBA territory this season, the Lakers were still showcased outside of the typical markets. The team seems to be enjoying it, but Redick would like to see more balance moving forward.
“You hope that we can find some sort of balance in the future to get more practice time, less travel time,” said the head coach. “I’m sure at some point we’ll be one of the teams going overseas, so then that adds another scenario.”
When it comes to the teams involved, the preseason has a different purpose for everybody. Some players are looking to showcase themselves to make a roster—whether it’s with the team they are playing for, or another one paying close attention.
While some players have a guaranteed spot on a roster, they might be doing what they can to fight for minutes in their squads rotation. Then, you have the Lukas and the LeBrons, who might not even get the chance to play due to setbacks or rest.
Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) leave a court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 in game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The six-game schedule won’t make a difference for the latter player, as LeBron James has been ruled out for the entire preseason and is expected to miss the start of the 2025-2026 regular season. For a guy like Luka, it’s actually beneficial, as he gets some extended rest, while potentially snagging an opportunity to get some run in before the games count for something.
It wasn’t long ago when Luka Doncic was suited up for Slovenia, playing an intense brand of basketball on the EuroBasket stage. Doncic needed rest more than anything this preseason, but he is expected to get some run before the regular season arrives.
On Tuesday, the Lakers will pay a visit to the Phoenix Suns. They’ll close out the regular season with two home games, hosting the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings.
When the preseason is all said and done, perhaps Redick will have a better idea of whether maxing out the schedule was the organization’s most logical choice or not. For the time being, the Lakers are rolling with the circumstances and looking forward to getting back to business on October 21, when they host the Golden State Warriors for the opener.
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