The Lakers are relocating and renaming their South Bay G League team, with the transition happening ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region, playing their home games at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, the team announced on Thursday.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The Lakers have played at least one preseason game at Acrisure Arena, which opened in December 2022, every year since 2023.
Acrisure Arena, which has a capacity of around 11,00 spectators, also hosts the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.
The Lakers G League team went 26-10 during the 2025-26 G League season, securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference before falling to the Stockton Kings in the conference finals.
The Lakers G League team started as the Los Angeles D-Fenders in 2006 in the NBA’s D-League (renamed the G League in 2017), playing at the then-Staples Center before moving to the Toyota Sports Center ahead of the 2011-12 season.
The G League team rebranded as the South Bay Lakers in 2017, playing at UCLA Health Training Center over the last nine seasons.
Season ticket deposits, which start at $100 per account and are fully refundable at the time of seat selection, opened to the public starting Thursday.
