The Los Angeles Lakers are set to play the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night on ESPN.
The contest is a rematch of the two teams’ contest on Monday night, one in which the Lakers won 100-92.
Before the game, the Lakers announced their starting lineup for the key match that could decide the third seed in the Western Conference standings.
Lakers Starting Lineup Vs Rockets
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 12: Lakers forward LeBron James, #23, right, congratulates Lakers guard Luka Doncic after he sank a three-point shot, totaling 51 points for the game against the Bulls in the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton all got the nod for the Lakers’ starting lineup on Wednesday.
It’s been a consistent choice this season for head coach JJ Redick to start games with this five, as the two key offseason additions of Smart and Ayton have been heavily featured in the starting lineup this year.
As for the Rockets, they are set to have Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. in their starting lineup.
Each lineup for Wednesday night’s game is the same as Monday’s contest, expect for Sengun, as he was on the injury report with a back issue. Clint Capela got the starting nod on that occasion for Houston.
The Lakers only have Maxi Kleber listed on the injury report, while the Rockets have the trio of Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Jae’Sean Tate on the injury report listed as out for the game.
Lakers Make Announcement Before Rockets Game
Along with the starters, the Lakers also recently announced that they will be wearing their ‘statement edition‘ jerseys, which feature a mostly purple and black colorway.
Los Angeles had previous worn their traditional gold jerseys on the road in Houston on Monday, but have since made the switch while they once again play away from home.
Lakers Game Comes Amid Major LeBron James News
In the leadup to the Lakers vs Rockets game, major news on James’ post-retirement career emerged.
According to Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, James is ‘less likely’ to become an NBA owner once he retires.
A source close to James said “with Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will
“JUST IN: Fenway Sports Group, LeBron James’ business partner, is not currently interested in pursuing an NBA expansion opportunity in Vegas, sources told The Athletic,” they wrote on X. “A source close to James said ‘with Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team.’”
James was previously linked to NBA ownership, as he had discussed the idea of owning team in the past, and specifically one in Las Vegas, one of the cities mentioned in recent NBA expansion rumors.
“Ten years ago this August, LeBron James first publicly declared his interest in owning an NBA team. And nearly four years ago, he said he wanted his team to be in Las Vegas,” the insiders wrote. “With the league set to take a big step next week toward placing teams in both Las Vegas and Seattle, James’ decade-long dream is dwindling.”
James is in his 23rd season in the NBA, and was named an All-Star despite being the oldest player in the league.
While already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, he recently passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time field goals made leader.
James is just three games away from passing Robert Parish with the most games played in NBA history.
Lakers Announce Starting Lineup Decision vs Rockets Amid LeBron James News