TST Best Bets: October 21, 2026
Nick Wire
Host · Writer
The Los Angeles Lakers open the 2026 regular season tonight at home against the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers completely retooled their roster this offseason. After key contributors LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard left in free agency, the Lakers filled out their roster with free agent additions. Los Angeles went out and signed Sandro Mamukelashvili, Colin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Kevon Looney.
The Lakers performed a sign-and-trade for talented center Walker Kessler to solidify their front court and rim protection and they drafted Cameron Carr out of Baylor as a future piece of wing depth.
On top of all of their new additions, the Lakers are led by backcourt duo Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić. Dončić averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game across 64 regular-season games en route to an All-NBA First Team nod.
Reaves saw a surge in production across the board in 2025, earning him a four year contract worth 180 million dollars. Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game across 51 games last season.
The Lakers expect Kessler to be the complementary third guy in the Lakers' pecking order. Kessler received a huge four year contract worth 130 million dollars, which is a gamble considering he only played five games last season. When Kessler is healthy, he is an anchor down low. In his last full season he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
First Pick: Austin Reaves over 23.5 points
Rundown: Reaves had 28 points in 25 minutes against the Warriors in their lone preseason matchup. Reaves averaged 24.9 points in games with Luka Doncic active and LeBron James inactive – which is a glimpse of what we'll see this season. In last season's season opener against the Warriors, Reaves had 26 points and nine assists. Now completely healthy and likely to see an increased offensive load, Reaves should fly past this mark.
Second Pick: Luka Doncic over 7.5 assists
Rundown: Doncic averaged 8.3 assists per game last season and the Lakers surrounded Doncic this season with athletic wings who can knock down threes. Doncic will look to run the floor, kick it out to his shooters and dish it to Kessler in the pick and roll. Doncic will likely also lead the Lakers scoring efforts. Doncic has 24 assists in his last three matchups with the Warriors. Since March 3, 2022, Doncic has eclipsed 7.5 assists in all but two games against the Warriors.
