- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Lakers will open their preseason finale Friday night against the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena with a starting five of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle.
Doncic, Reaves and Kessler had already been confirmed as starters before Friday, forming the team's three highest-paid players. Williams returned after sitting out the previous three exhibition games and also slots into the first unit.
The surprise came at the final guard spot, where Thybulle got the nod over Quentin Grimes. Grimes had started all four previous preseason contests, averaging 12.3 points on 53.3 percent shooting, including 41.2 percent from three-point range. Coach JJ Redick said Grimes will start during the regular season, explaining he wanted lineup balance with Grimes handling the ball off the bench while Collin Sexton remains sidelined with a right lower leg injury.
The same lineup could appear in Wednesday's possible regular-season opener against the Warriors, though Redick left the door open. Thybulle, who signed a veteran's minimum deal in July, is slated for 25 minutes Friday as the team monitors his response. The 3-and-D wing appeared in 45 regular-season games with the Trail Blazers from 2024-26 due to injuries and averaged 17.6 minutes per game over the past two seasons.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).