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Looney will start in Monday's preseason opener against the Kings, Khobi Price of The California Post reports.
Walker Kessler (finger) is out, so Looney will draw the start in L.A.'s first exhibition game of the season. Joining him in the first unit for Monday's game will be Luka Doncic, Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle.
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Lakers' Ziaire Williams: Drawing preseason start
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Williams will start Monday's preseason game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The California Post reports.
The Lakers will be without Austin Reaves (ankle) and Collin Sexton (lower body) Monday, and Jake LaRavia will come off the bench, paving the way for Williams to start. The 25-year-old is competing with LaRavia for a starting role this season, so Monday will serve as an important audition for Williams.
Thybulle will start Monday's preseason game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The California Post reports.
The Lakers will be without Austin Reaves (ankle) and Walker Kessler (finger) in their preseason opener, so the club will start Luka Doncic, Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams, Kevon Looney and Thybulle. The defensive-minded swingman is competing for a starting spot ahead of the regular season.
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Lakers' Arthur Kaluma: Sitting Monday
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Kaluma won't play in Monday's preseason game against the Kings due to a lower body injury, Khobi Price of The California Post reports.
Coach JJ Redick notes that this isn't a significant injury, and the team is considering Kaluma day-to-day. He'll have another chance to take the court during Tuesday's exhibition against the Warriors.
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Lakers' Collin Sexton: Ruled out Monday
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Sexton has been ruled out for Monday's preseason game against the Kings due to a lower-body issue, Khobi Price of The California Post reports.
It's unclear exactly what Sexton is dealing with, though he's considered day-to-day. His next chance to suit up in the preseason will come Tuesday against the Warriors.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Unavailable Monday
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Reaves won't play in Monday's preseason game against the Kings after tweaking his ankle, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
The Lakers don't appear to be overly concerned about the injury at this point. Reaves will have another chance to make his preseason debut Tuesday against Golden State.
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Lakers' Walker Kessler: Won't play Monday
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Kessler is out for Monday's exhibition against the Kings due to a finger injury, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Kessler jammed his finger at camp and will now miss Monday's preseason opener, which will be the first game of a back-to-back set. There's a chance Kessler could be held out of Tuesday's game in Golden State as well, but it's unlikely that this will be something that lingers into the regular season.
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Lakers' Matisse Thybulle: Making impact on defense
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Thybulle has made an immediate impact defensively during his first training camp with the Lakers, recording at least seven steals through the team's first two practices, according to Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com.
Head coach JJ Redick specifically highlighted Thybulle's ability to disrupt passing lanes, joking that his teammates need to learn not to throw the ball when the veteran wing is positioned to make a play. Thybulle's defensive ability should give him a strong opportunity to earn consistent minutes as Los Angeles sorts through a crowded competition on the wing.
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Lakers' Bronny James: Competing for rotation minutes
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The Lakers believe that James can earn a spot in the rotation heading into the 2026-27 season, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Coach JJ Redick has been a believer in James since he was drafted in 2024, and he's been impressed by the 21-year-old's continued development over the last few years. While roles have not yet been decided at this point in camp, it seems as though James could factor into the Lakers' plans for the 2026-27 season, as the team intends to play hard, fast and with physicality, per Woike.
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Lakers' Luka Doncic: Set to stagger with backcourt mate
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Doncic has yet to share the floor with Austin Reaves in scrimmages, and coach JJ Redick said he anticipates staggering the two during the regular season, Jovan Buha of The Athleticreports.
Doncic is set to enter the 2026-27 season healthy after a hamstring injury forced him to miss time down the stretch of the regular season and the entire postseason a year ago. Redick's comments suggest Los Angeles intends to separate on-ball stretches for Doncic and Reaves, while also relying on the likes of Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Bronny James and Jaden Hardy to produce.
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Lakers' Matisse Thybulle: Competing to start
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Thybulle is battling for a starting spot at training camp, per Trevor Lane of LakersNation.com.
Lane believes Thybulle is the third-best fit in the starting lineup behind Ziaire Williams and Jake LaRavia. Thybulle is primed for a big role as a three-and-D threat for the Lakers, but staying on the court has been an issue in recent years. He's logged just 45 regular-season appearances over the past two seasons and may not be trusted with substantial workloads, but Thybulle has managed to average at least 1.2 steals every year of his career despite never playing at least 26 minutes per game.
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Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Not guaranteed roster spot
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Sam Amico of Hoops Wire believes Knecht is on the Lakers' roster bubble.
Despite LeBron James' offseason exit, Knecht still likely finds himself behind newcomers Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Cameron Carr, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams on the depth chart. A different situation may be needed for Knecht to attain fantasy relevance in 2026-27.
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Lakers' Quentin Grimes: Eyes starting role
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Grimes wants to establish himself as a starter during training camp, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
According to Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com, Grimes also said that he takes pride in his defense and will be ready to guard the opposing team's best player on a nightly basis, which should help him secure a regular starting role. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler are all essentially locked in as starters to begin the season, though head coach JJ Redick will have training camp and the preseason to evaluate the final two spots. Grimes is coming off a productive 2025-26 season with Philadelphia, averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 29.4 minutes per game across 75 regular-season outings (19 starts). He shot a career-low 33.4 percent from three-point range last season but is still a career 36.6 percent shooter from deep.
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Lakers' Cole Swider: Joining Lakers
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Swider agreed to a deal with the Lakers on Sunday, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Swider joined the Lakers for the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League and could compete for a spot on the team's regular-season roster in training camp. However, the team can waive him at any time now that they have his G League rights.
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Lakers' Cameron Carr: In mix for rotation spot?
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Carr could be part of the Lakers' rotation as a rookie, according to head coach JJ Redick, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.
Redick indicated that Los Angeles plans to utilize a deeper rotation this season, which could create an opportunity for Carr to earn minutes. The rookie will still need to establish himself during training camp and the preseason, but he appears to have a path to a regular role. Keep an eye on him in deeper formats.
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Lakers' Austin Reaves: Poised for big role
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Lakers president Rob Pelinka referred to Reaves, Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler as the team's "Big 3" while discussing the continuity of the roster, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.
The comments reinforce Reaves' prominent role in Los Angeles' offense and suggest he should remain a major part of the team's plans alongside Doncic and Kessler this season. Fantasy managers can expect a mild bump in offensive usage with LeBron James out of the mix as well.
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Lakers' Walker Kessler: Healthy ahead of camp
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Kessler (shoulder) is fully healthy and has been cleared for the start of the season, according to Lakers president Rob Pelinka, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.
Kessler underwent shoulder surgery back in November, but Pelinka said the big man is looking forward to playing in a lot of games this year. The 25-year-old appears on track to enter training camp without restrictions and should have a prominent role in Los Angeles' frontcourt with Luka Doncic setting him up with easy looks.
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Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt: Likely coming off bench
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Vanderbilt is among the candidates for the Lakers' final starting position, according to Jovan Buha of Buha's Block.
Vanderbilt's defensive versatility, size and rebounding make him a theoretical fit for what Los Angeles wants from the role, but Buha is skeptical that he'll win the competition after playing a modest role last season. Jake LaRavia and Ziaire Williams appear to have the inside track entering camp, so Vanderbilt may need a strong preseason to move up the pecking order.
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Lakers' Sandro Mamukelashvili: Outside chance to start
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Mamukelashvili is among the options for the Lakers' final starting spot, though Jovan Buha of Buha's Block has reservations about his defensive fit.
Buha questioned whether a lineup featuring Luka Doncic, Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler would have sufficient quickness and athleticism defensively. Mamukelashvili should nevertheless get an opportunity to compete for the job during camp and the preseason, though Jake LaRavia and Ziaire Williams appear to be the more likely candidates entering the competition.
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Lakers' Quentin Grimes: Expected to start
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Grimes is viewed as a lock to occupy one of the Lakers' starting spots entering training camp, according to Jovan Buha of Buha's Block.
Grimes is expected to join Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler as four established members of the starting five, leaving only one position unsettled. The offseason addition should complement Doncic and Reaves with his perimeter defense and ability to operate away from the ball, putting Grimes in line for a substantial role in his first season with Los Angeles.
