Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors

The matchup is scheduled to take place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, home arena of the Warriors. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM Pacific Time (which corresponds to 8:30 PM Eastern). As a preseason game, it marks Golden State’s first live action of the 2025–26 campaign.

Both teams enter the game with multiple absences and managed playing time for key players. On the Lakers side, Luka Dončić is resting (out for the game) as part of load management following his EuroBasket commitments. In addition, LeBron James (glute issue), Marcus Smart (Achilles), and Maxi Kleber (quad) are unavailable. Austin Reaves is also resting for this contest. Los Angeles Lakers will have to lean heavily on their role players, including Gabe Vincent, who is active and expected to see considerable run.

For Golden State, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Al Horford are slated to play, but all are expected to be limited — roughly 15 minutes in the first half only — with a plan to sit them in the second half. Jimmy Butler is a question mark due to a recent ankle tweak, though head coach Steve Kerr expects him to suit up. Seth Curry will not be available, currently ramping back up after a late arrival. Alex Toohey is out with an ankle injury, and De’Anthony Melton remains sidelined. Jonathan Kuminga is cleared to play and is expected to see meaningful minutes under this new-look rotation.

Both coaches are expected to use this game more as an evaluation tool than a win-or-lose moment. Steve Kerr will likely emphasize spacing, ball movement, and integrating new and existing pieces in controlled spurts, given the limitations in minutes for his stars. The Warriors have long operated with a read-and-react offense and versatile small-ball units; this preseason gives room to test Al Horford’s fit and rotations around Curry, Green, and Butler.

On the Lakers side, head coach JJ Redick must adjust without his core players. The focus will likely be on establishing defensive identity, evaluating bench depth, and seeing how role players handle primary or secondary creator duties. Given the absences, Redick’s tactics may lean toward more structure, simplified sets, and pushing players like Vincent, Vanderbilt, LaRavia, and Ayton into positions of responsibility early.

In the buildup, the press has emphasized the health management strategies by both franchises — especially Golden State’s limited minute plan for its stars and the Lakers’ decision to rest Dončić, LeBron, and others. Analysts often note that while the scoreboard may not matter much, the internal implications do: who from the benches steps up, how rotations gel, and how new additions perform under pressure.

Studio analysts have mostly framed this game as a controlled experiment more than a competitive preview — “tune-up” mode, with curiosity over how soon Golden State can coalesce and how well Los Angeles can tread water without its stars. There’s also talk about the narrative: can the Warriors show depth beyond their stars, and can the Lakers’ supporting cast display enough cohesion to build confidence heading into the regular season?