Lakers to play in third annual California Classic Summer League

The Lakers are returning to Sacramento for the Kings’ Summer League showcase.

The NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas is its most famous Summer League, but in 2018, the Sacramento Kings announced their own summer exhibition tournament: the California Classic. And since then, the Los Angeles Lakers have played in it every year.

The California Classic was put on hold last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Kings announced that it’s coming back this year and the Lakers will be back in it too.

In previous years, each team played each other once in a three-day span, but this year, the basketball showcase is only two days and the Lakers aren’t scheduled to play the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers will open the tournament with a game against the Miami Heat on August 3 and then play the hosts, the Kings, on August 4.

Depending on what the Lakers do with their pick, this could be the first time the No. 22 pick suits up in the purple and gold. There’s also a possibility that Talen Horton-Tucker plays, but it’s not common for third-year players to play in Summer League, especially when they’re in the rotation like he was last season.

Following the California Classic, the Lakers will head to Las Vegas for the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League. The schedule hasn’t been released for that tournament yet, but we know that it will take place shortly after the California classic, on August 8, and wrap up on August 17. Rosters for both tournaments will be announced after the NBA Draft on July 29.

Tickets for the California Classic will go on sale July 12. For more information on the California Classic, you can visit https://www.nba.com/kings/caclassic.

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