California’s two flagship NBA franchises head into the new season on opposite trajectories, according to a preseason breakdown of the Western Conference published by the New York Post.
The Los Angeles Lakers overhauled their roster around Luka Dončić, adding Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, Jaden Hardy and Cameron Carr. The team is only returning two starters from last season in Dončić and Austin Reaves.
The Golden State Warriors, by contrast, largely stood still. They missed out on LeBron James, who left the Lakers after eight seasons to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, and an earlier pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo also fell through.
Lakers Chasing the Conference Elite
The analysis places the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs well above the Lakers, citing their youth, depth, defense and playoff pedigree. The Lakers, who won their most recent championship in 2020 and acquired Dončić in a February 2025 trade, are described as needing an elite perimeter defender and more time to jell before they can be considered true contenders.
Still, the breakdown suggests the Lakers could finish ahead of Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets, who had a rough offseason after a first-round playoff exit in April and lost Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards and four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and bolstered by the additions of LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, are flagged as a team that could challenge Los Angeles. The Houston Rockets, expected to have a healthy Kevin Durant and a returning Fred VanVleet, are also cited as a potential obstacle, despite the Lakers having jumped to a 3-0 series lead over Houston in last year’s postseason without Dončić and Reaves.
The Post’s assessment lands on a third-place finish in the West for the Lakers as a realistic, strong outcome for Dončić this season.
Warriors Facing Questions on Health and Depth
Golden State’s outlook is murkier. Stephen Curry, who turns 39 next season and last year became the oldest point guard in NBA history to be named a starter on the All-Star team, remains one of the league’s top players, but the roster around him is unsettled. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are both set to miss the start of the season due to injuries.
The report notes the Warriors are expected to explore moves ahead of the trade deadline to shore up the roster. It also points to the team’s play-in win over the Los Angeles Clippers as evidence of what a healthy Golden State can still do: Curry scored 35 points, including 27 in the second half; Draymond Green held Kawhi Leonard to just two points in the fourth quarter; and Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
As things stand, the Post’s analysis labels the Warriors a fringe playoff team, with the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, Timberwolves, Rockets, Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks all positioned to compete for postseason positioning ahead of them.
