The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2026 Las Vegas Summer League schedule on Friday night with assistant coach Ty Abbott serving as head coach, marking his first time leading a team from the bench.
The Lakers will follow their opener with games on July 11, 14 and 16, with a fifth contest to be assigned later. The stint in Las Vegas comes on the heels of three California Classic matchups at Chase Center, giving the organization eight summer outings to evaluate young talent.
Coaching background
Abbott joined Los Angeles ahead of the 2024-25 season as lead player development coach under then-rookie head coach JJ Redick. Before arriving in Los Angeles, he spent four seasons (2020-24) in player development with the Chicago Bulls and one season in the same role with the Philadelphia 76ers. His transition to coaching began after an overseas playing career, and he briefly overlapped with Redick during their time in Philadelphia.
Last summer, Abbott worked as an assistant on Lindsey Harding’s Summer League staff. This year, he heads a group of assistants that includes Michael Wexler, Justin Robinson, Zach Guthrie, Perry Huang, Liam Flynn, Drew Seifert, Gerdarius Troutman, Lucas Vargas and Tevin Falzon.
Focus on player development
During the regular season, Abbott is often seen breaking down film with players such as Bronny James and conducting on-court workouts with Luka Doncic. The 2026 Summer League roster features first-round pick Cameron Carr, two-way players Peter Suder, Chris Mañon and AK Okereke, and second-year forward Adou Thiero, providing Abbott additional opportunities to strengthen his development credentials.
The Lakers hope the extended run in Las Vegas will accelerate progress for their young core while giving Abbott a platform to showcase his leadership from the sideline.
Source: LakersNation.com
