Can the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Cup a second time?

LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers and captured the inaugural NBA Cup back in December 2023. The team went on a 7-0 run and defeated the Indiana Pacers in the final.

Those veteran players are no longer in Los Angeles, but Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are a promising duo that could prove to be a wild card in the 2026 tournament.

The Lakers hold a 13-3 record in the tournament’s history, which is second best.

Here's what you need to know about the Lakers' chances in the 2026-27 NBA Cup tournament.

NBA Cup West Group C

The Lakers' group contains two other teams from the Pacific Division.

• Los Angeles Lakers

• Golden State Warriors

• Portland Trail Blazers

Will Lakers win West Group C in NBA Cup?

Entering Friday, the Lakers have put together a 4-1 start to the season with a 1-1 record against teams in their group.

Los Angeles will begin tournament play against the Warriors, a team it already beat 127-105 to start the season.

Doncic and the Lakers lead the league in scoring through the early part of the season, averaging 123.2 points per game. Doncic was the 2025-26 scoring champion and is on pace to repeat, averaging 36 points per game. He’s already put together a 50-point performance.

Center Walker Kessler could prove to be a wild card for the Lakers. The big man will have to lead the way on the defensive side of the ball, but Los Angeles could also benefit from him putting together strong performances offensively.

Kessler produced strong back-to-back outings to start the season. He shot 12-for-12 from the field for 26 points and added another 22 points against the Clippers in the team's second game of the season.

What could prevent Lakers from a successful NBA Cup run?

The health of the Lakers could factor into just how successful the team will be throughout the tournament.

Doncic missed his first game earlier in the week with back tightness. Ziaire Williams has missed two games for the Lakers due to left foot soreness.

On the court, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs could pose the biggest threat to the Lakers. The Spurs are coming off an NBA Finals appearance, but are 3-2 to start the season.

The Trail Blazers could also pose a threat to the Lakers, having already beaten Los Angeles this season. Damian Lillard and the Blazers managed to overcome a high-scoring night from the Lakers' star duo and still managed to pull off a 136-129 win. Doncic finished with 41 points and nine assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points. The Lakers struggled to get stops throughout the game and were outscored 34-26 in the fourth quarter. Lillard was one of four players for Portland to score more than 20 points against Los Angeles.

Lakers' NBA Cup schedule

• Lakers at Warriors (Friday, Oct. 30)

• Trail Blazers at Lakers (Friday, Nov. 6)

• Kings at Lakers (Friday, Nov. 20)

• Lakers at Spurs (Friday, Nov. 27)

What is the NBA Cup?

The Emirates NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season tournament, which was started in 2023 to help drive interest in the early season schedule. The competition features group play and knockout rounds with players and teams competing for a prize pool of money that increases based on how far a team advances.

When does the NBA Cup start?

The first games of the 2026 NBA Cup will take place on Friday, Oct. 30, when group play begins. Subsequent games are scheduled every Friday through Nov. 27. There will also be NBA Cup games on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25.

How does the NBA Cup work?

The league's 30 teams were separated into six groups featuring five teams in August. The NBA determined the groups using a draw system that placed each team in a pod based on their record during the 2025-26 season. The draw placed one team from each pot into each of the three groups in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.