With the NBA Finals set to begin later this week, the Los Angeles Lakers are already looking ahead to the 2025-26 season.

This is a decision made not by the NBA, but by the two teams that completed one of the most controversial trades in sports history just months ago.

On Monday, the Lakers announced that they will begin their preseason schedule this year (the home portion, at least) on Oct. 3, 2025, with a home game against the Suns, though it won't be in L.A. It'll be in Palm Springs.

The Western Conference's top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder meet the Eastern Conference's No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers in this year's NBA Finals. The small market teams have a combined two prior Finals appearances and zero championships in their current franchise locations.

The schedule for the Los Angeles Lakers taking part in the 2025 California Classic Summer League has been released.

The schedule for this year's California Classic has been released. The Lakers will play against the Golden State Warriors on July 5, the Miami Heat on July 6 and the San Antonio Spurs on July 8. Afterward, the main Las Vegas summer league will start on July 10 and conclude on July 20.