On Nov. 5, 2026, the Coachella Valley Lakers waived French center Kalifa Sakho before the start of the 2026-27 NBA G League season, BeBasket reported, in a roster purge that also released four players the club selected in the 2026 G League Draft. The same week, the Long Island Nets waived French guard Tidjiane Dioumassi, leaving two young French players without a G League home as the season approaches.
Sakho cut days after Lakers media day
Sakho, a 2.04-meter (6-foot-8) center from Limoges, France, had spoken to reporters at Coachella Valley’s media day earlier that week about what he wanted from the new season. “Juste d’être sur le terrain, avec mes coéquipiers et montrer ce que je sais faire,” he said — just to be on the court, with his teammates, and show what he can do. He will not get that chance in California.
BeBasket noted that Sakho was selected seventh in the July international draft, and that the Lakers’ G League affiliate confirmed the move in a Nov. 5 post from Lakers UK: “Coachella Valley has waived center Kalifa Sakho ahead of the 2026-27 G League season.” The 25-year-old had been a prospect at CSP Limoges — BeBasket described him as a former “Espoir du CSP” — and was seen during the preseason with Virtus Bologna in Italy before landing in the Lakers organization.
UPDATE: Coachella Valley has waived center Kalifa Sakho ahead of the 2026-27 G League season. The team has also waived four players selected in the 2026 G League Draft: Jayden Pierre (G), Quion Burns (G), Faizon Fields (C) and Tegra Izay (C).#LakeShow https://t.co/qfDaEcuEAV
Four 2026 G League draft picks also released
The Sakho move was part of a wider cut. The same Lakers UK update listed four players chosen in the 2026 G League Draft who were also waived: guards Jayden Pierre and Quion Burns, and centers Faizon Fields and Tegra Izay. In total, five players were released by Coachella Valley before the season began.
| Player | Position | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalifa Sakho | Center | Coachella Valley Lakers | Waived before 2026-27 season |
| Jayden Pierre | Guard | Coachella Valley Lakers | Waived; 2026 G League draft pick |
| Quion Burns | Guard | Coachella Valley Lakers | Waived; 2026 G League draft pick |
| Faizon Fields | Center | Coachella Valley Lakers | Waived; 2026 G League draft pick |
| Tegra Izay | Center | Coachella Valley Lakers | Waived; 2026 G League draft pick |
| Tidjiane Dioumassi | Guard | Long Island Nets | Waived before 2026-27 season |
Dioumassi waived by Long Island after Saint-Quentin preseason
Dioumassi, the 1.93-meter (6-foot-4) son of former French international Makan Dioumassi, suffered the same fate in the Nets organization. BeBasket reported that the guard had prepared well over the summer, notably at Saint-Quentin in France, where he made a solid impression during the preseason — but he did not make the Nets’ roster for the season. BeBasket noted he was the 13th pick of the July international draft, the same draft in which Sakho had been taken seventh.
Both waivers fit the timing: G League teams routinely trim rosters in the days before the season starts, and the 2026-27 campaign opens without either French player on an affiliate roster.
No confirmed destination for either player
Neither Sakho nor Dioumassi has a confirmed team for the 2026-27 season. BeBasket’s reporting does not indicate whether either will sign elsewhere in the G League, return to Europe, or wait for a midseason opening. The next confirmed checkpoint is the start of the 2026-27 G League season, with Coachella Valley and Long Island both set to begin play with reshaped rosters.
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