First Lakers-Clippers game reportedly scheduled for Oct. 20

The first Lakers–Clippers game next season is currently scheduled for Oct. 20 at Crypto.com Arena, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. As Charania notes, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are set to play Paul George and Kawhi Leonard for the first time since 2020.

The Lakers are coming off a disappointing season headlined by injuries. They finished with just a 33-49 record, the fifth-worst in the Western Conference. The Clippers, on the other hand, have put together a legitimate title contender on paper, owning one of the deepest rosters in the league.

Here are some other notes from the West:

• Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recently called Michael Jordan the greatest player of all time, as shared in a recent NBA 2K23 advertisement. Buss, of course, has had players such as James and Kobe Bryant play for the franchise during her time with the team.
• The Lakers may have more options to trade Russell Westbrook if Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell get moved, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes. Brooklyn and Utah have discussed trades related to Durant and Mitchell, respectively, but both players remain with their teams.
• Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News explores how forward Simone Fontecchio recently had a great game against former Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Fontecchio signed a two-year deal with Utah last month after spending his entire career overseas. He scored 24 points in the pre-EuroBasket exhibition game, also adding seven rebounds.