BASKETBALL: Lakers moving G League team to Coachella Valley

The Los Angeles Lakers are relocating and rebranding their NBA G League team, the club announced on Thursday.

Starting in 2026-27, the Coachella Valley Lakers will call California's Greater Palm Springs region their new home.

The team will play its home games at the 11,000-seat Acrisure Arena, home to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Seattle Kraken.

"Moving the Lakers G League team to the Coachella Valley is an incredible opportunity for the organization," Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said. "The Lakers have had a strong presence in the region for decades, from the Showtime Lakers holding training camp in the 1980s to more recent preseason games.

"We are looking forward to extending that experience and becoming a staple for Coachella Valley sports and entertainment. Acrisure Arena is the perfect modern venue that provides an incredible fan first experience, while ensuring players have the premium facilities and space they need on game day."

Originally founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the G League squad changed its name to the South Bay Lakers in 2017, based in the L.A. suburb El Segundo, Calif.

-Field Level Media/Reuters