PALM DESERT, CA — Twenty years after its formation, the NBA G League team affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers will relocate to Palm Desert, where the team will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers, the Lakers announced on Thursday.
The rebranded Coachella Valley Lakers will play home games of the 2026-27 season at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert.
"I have enjoyed a long-time relationship with Jerry and Jeanie Buss, Lon Rosen and Linda Rambis," said Irving Azoff, Oak View Group senior partner. "And I am beyond thrilled to have the Coachella Valley Lakers call OVG’s Acrisure Arena their home. Go Lakers."
Acrisure Arena Senior Vice President John Page said that Riverside County Supervisor Manuel Perez and Visit Greater Palm Springs, in partnership with Oak View Group, have worked together to bring the team to the region.
"Moving the Lakers G League team to the Coachella Valley is an incredible opportunity for the organization," Lon Rossen, Los Angeles Lakers president of business operations 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."
The Lakers were the first NBA team to own and operate their affiliate in the developmental league, according to a news release from the team.
The Lakers said its G League team has developed the next generation of professional athletes, including current Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves. The franchise recorded 60 NBA call-ups across 38 players. The team also posted a 26-10 regular-season record during the 2025-2026 season, securing the top spot in the Western Conference.
When it was founded in 2006, the Lakers G League was originally called the Los Angeles D-Fenders, playing at STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles before later moving to the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. The team was rebranded in 2017 as the South Bay Lakers and played at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo.
Season ticket deposits were opened to the public beginning on Thursday.
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