Warriors Announce Starting Lineup vs Lakers on Opening Night

The Golden State Warriors announced a unique starting five against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Apr 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors are opening their 2025-26 campaign against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, setting up a star-studded in-state matchup to kick off the new NBA season.

Of course, all eyes are on Steph Curry and Luka Doncic for the big matchup on Tuesday night, but there are some other key players to monitor on the big stage.

The Warriors and Lakers both made some significant offseason additions, and Tuesday's season opener is their opportunity to put the new players on full display. The Lakers are starting Deandre Ayton to show off their new-look lineup, but the Warriors are opting to bring veteran big man Al Horford off the bench in his Golden State debut.

Warriors' surprising starting lineup

Oct 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) reacts towards forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) during the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Heading into Tuesday's matchup, there was some noise about Jonathan Kuminga starting over Al Horford. Now, just minutes before tip-off, that was confirmed.

The Warriors announced their starting lineup for Opening Night against the Lakers, putting a group of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga on the floor together to start Tuesday's game.

Bring 'em out. Bring 'em out. pic.twitter.com/dTT2joNG9z

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 22, 2025

Kuminga, 23, had a dramatic offseason with months of contract negotiations as a restricted free agent. There was plenty of talk around Kuminga's uncertain future with the franchise, so it is fairly surprising to see him in the starting lineup to start the season.

Of course, there is no guarantee that this is their starting group moving forward, but it will be interesting to see how things go for this group against a competitive Lakers team on Tuesday.

On the other end, the Lakers are rolling with a starting group of Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton. The Warriors likely felt comfortable putting out a smaller starting five against Los Angeles' three-guard lineup, and there is no doubt that Green is capable of defending Ayton in his Lakers debut.

Starters for the opener tonight in LA

Warriors

Steph Curry
Brandin Podziemski
Jimmy Butler
Jonathan Kuminga
Draymond Green

Lakers

Luka Doncic
Gabe Vincent
Austin Reaves
Rui Hachimura
Deandre Ayton

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2025

The Warriors will certainly have their hands full on Tuesday against Doncic and the Lakers, but this versatile lineup with Kuminga in the mix could certainly make some noise. For this Warriors team, looking to get off to a hot start to their 2025-26 season, this is a significant choice for head coach Steve Kerr to put this group on the floor to kick off their new campaign.

The Warriors and Lakers are set to face off in Los Angeles on Tuesday night at 10:00 p.m. ET.