LeBron James will miss the Lakers' first preseason game against the Wolves

The Lakers will unofficially open their season on Friday when they host the Wolves in a preseason matchup against the Wolves in Palm Springs. However, they will be doing so without LeBron James.

While head coach JJ Redick said that both LeBron and Anthony Davis will play opening weekend, the team announced Friday afternoon that LeBron would be out.

At the time of publication, there was no update on whether AD would play on Friday. While it's unlikely that Davis will play in both games this weekend, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Both LeBron and AD come into camp in a much better situation than usual with their participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics. If anything, that would generally lead to a preseason in which they play less.

Given that the team is learning a new offensive system under Redick, more will likely be asked of them this preseason. It's always a good balance between trying to keep the stars rested and healthy while learning the system.

It also helps that the chemistry in the starting eleven is right. Unlike some years when the Lakers put together a new roster, this one is more of a holdover from last year, which also makes it easier to sit players out this preseason.

While it seems unlikely that LeBron and AD will play together this weekend, they will certainly spend some time together this preseason. But LeBron isn't the guy who usually plays a lot of preseason games, so this isn't unusual.

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