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Lakers and Warriors frame expectations: Pacific and Southwest roundup
No games on the board, but plenty of projections in the Pacific Division and a few roster tweaks in Los Angeles and Sacramento as 2026-27 approaches.
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It was a quiet night on the court for the Pacific and Southwest Divisions, with no games played, but expectations and end-of-roster moves still drove the news cycle.
Lakers, Warriors, Suns and the Pacific under the microscope
Hoops Rumors kicked off its annual win-total preview for the Pacific Division, leaning on betting lines to frame the outlook for the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers and Sacramento Kings. The early conversation puts the Lakers (currently 1-1), Warriors (1-1) and Suns (0-1) in the center of the race at the top, with the unbeaten Clippers (1-0) and winless Kings (0-1) rounding out a division where every result could swing the standings.
In another league-wide snapshot, CBS Sports rolled out its ranking of all 30 NBA head coaches. The Kings’ bench is among those discussed, a reminder that pressure is tied not only to win totals but also to recent playoff performance and overall trajectory.
Clippers trim the roster as Garland looks to grow
Elsewhere in Los Angeles, the Clippers waived rookie guard Fletcher Loyer, who was on an Exhibit 10 contract. That type of deal often points toward a G League path as the team sharpens its backcourt depth chart ahead of the regular season. At the same time, Darius Garland is embracing the idea of a bigger role in the Clippers’ offense, another sign that the guard rotation remains in flux.
Kings manage Simmons, Warriors keep tweaking
In Sacramento, the Kings already opted to sit Ben Simmons for their preseason opener. It’s a cautious approach in a stretch where protecting key pieces can matter as much as building chemistry before the real games begin.
For the Golden State Warriors, the theme remains adjustment. They continue to tweak their offense and think through their long-term plan, looking for the right balance between their veteran core and newer contributors.
Elsewhere in the sector, it was all quiet for the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs, all still sitting at 0-0 and waiting on their first on-court tests of the year.