Ahead of Wednesday night’s win over the Sacramento Kings, the Los Angeles Lakers made several moves at the developmental level as their G League affiliate prepares for the new season.
The Coachella Valley Lakers are set to open their 2026-27 campaign against the Salt Lake City Stars on November 6, with the organization making several final roster decisions ahead of opening night.
Coachella Valley opened training camp on October 26, with preparations scheduled to conclude on November 5. However, the team has already begun trimming its roster, waiving recently acquired center Kalifa Sakho on Wednesday, according to the G League Transaction Portal.
Lakers Part Ways With Recently Acquired 6-Foot-11 Center
Coachella Valley acquired Sakho ahead of the 2026 NBA G League Draft on October 24, completing a trade with the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks‘ affiliate.
The deal saw the Lakers’ affiliate acquire the G League player rights to the French center in exchange for the rights to forward Jack Doumbia.
Coachella Valley originally selected Doumbia with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2026 G League International Draft earlier this offseason.
However, the organization subsequently moved his rights to Wisconsin in exchange for Sakho, who went seventh overall in the same draft.
The 25-year-old stands at 6-foot-11 and has five years of collegiate experience across South Plains, Utah State, Sam Houston State and Houston.
Across 161 college appearances, including 49 starts, Sakho averaged 4.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 block while shooting an impressive 64.5% from the field.
Although his offensive production remained relatively modest, Sakho’s size, interior presence and efficient finishing made him an intriguing developmental prospect for Coachella Valley’s frontcourt.
However, less than two weeks after acquiring his rights, the Lakers’ affiliate has already decided to move in a different direction.
Coachella Valley Make Sweeping Roster Changes Ahead of G League Opener
Sakho’s departure comes as part of a wider roster shakeup, with Coachella Valley also parting ways with all four of its selections from the recent G League Draft.
First-round picks Faizon Fields and Jayden Pierre, selected at No. 21 and No. 22, respectively, have both been waived.
The same applies to second-round selections Quion Burns and Tegra Izay, whom the organization drafted at No. 10 and No. 12 in the second round.
With the Lakers’ frontcourt depth already attracting scrutiny at the NBA level, the decision to move on from several developmental big men, including Sakho, Fields and Izay, is particularly interesting.
Coachella Valley will now enter the season with rookie William Kyle III, forward Anton Watson and two-way center Lawson Lovering among its primary frontcourt options.
The 2026-27 campaign also marks a new chapter for the franchise, with Alex Cerda taking over as head coach following three seasons as an assistant.
Cerda becomes the 12th head coach in franchise history and the first to lead the team under the Coachella Valley name following its relocation from El Segundo this past offseason.
Before joining the Lakers organization, Cerda served as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Texas Legends from 2021 to 2023, following two seasons working in the Los Angeles Clippers‘ video department.
The Texas native began his professional coaching career with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2016, serving as head video coordinator and player development coach.
Lakers Cut Ties With Recently Acquired 6-Foot-11 Center in Surprise Move