Ahead of media day on Sept. 28, Lakers head coach JJ Redick and longtime general manager Rob Pelinka spent Thursday laying out the shape of a franchise that looks very different than it did a few months ago.
The biggest message was unmistakable: this is Luka Doncic’s team now. With LeBron James gone after signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in NBA free agency, Pelinka and Redick made clear that the Lakers are entering a new phase, and the whole operation is being built around Doncic, whom Pelinka called the “greatest offensive player” in the world today.
That direction showed up in the roster moves, too. The Lakers re-signed Austin Reaves to a lucrative long-term deal and made their other major swing by landing Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, a type of deal that doesn’t come around often in the NBA. Redick explained why Kessler mattered so much, pointing to how well he should complement Reaves and Doncic for the long haul.
There’s still a sense this group is not fully formed. Redick and Pelinka both sounded like they know this roster may need time to settle in, perhaps a year or two, before it reaches its best version with Doncic at the center of it all. But the early work has been aimed squarely at getting younger and adding a player like Kessler, which could end up being a major piece if everything clicks.
Health, of course, is part of the equation. Kessler played only five games last season before being shut down for surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, and that naturally raises questions. Pelinka said the Lakers did their due diligence and were told by the medical staff that handled Kessler’s case that the procedure was likely a “one-time fix” and not something that should linger.
That matters because the Lakers are banking on him in a big way in the years ahead, especially in the paint.
The other major question hanging over camp is the starting five. The Lakers open the regular season on Oct. 21 against the visiting Golden State Warriors, and Redick said those jobs are “up for grabs” as training camp approaches.
He also dropped a revealing note about rookie Cameron Carr. The point wasn’t simply that Carr might get a look in his first season.
It was that Redick expects to have real depth this year. He went even further, saying this roster fits together better than any Lakers team he has coached so far in Los Angeles.
Pelinka also addressed how the team will get down to the league maximum of 15 players before the season starts, adding another layer of competition for those on the roster bubble. That means camp should bring plenty of pressure, and plenty of intrigue, as the Lakers sort out who sticks and who doesn’t before opening night.
In Other News...
Lakers Just Sent A Clear Message About Cameron Carr's Role
Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick made it clear this week that Cameron Carr is not just another young name in the pipeline. In a press conference, the Lakers front office and coach spoke about the rookies development, pointing to the impression he has already made in team activities and the way the organization is approaching his growth. For a roster that is trying to balance immediate expectations with long-term depth, those kinds of comments carry real weight.
Redick said Carr is a priority for development, and that matters because the path to playing time in Los Angeles is rarely straightforward for a rookie. The Lakers are also seeing progress from other young players such as Adou Thiero as they work to add flexibility for the season ahead, but Carrs standing in that group suggests the team sees a defined role taking shape if he keeps earning trust behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Roster Crunch Could Force A Tough Call Before Opening Night
The Lakers are still in evaluation mode as training camp opens, but the roster math already has a deadline attached to it. Rob Pelinka said the front office plans to use camp to sort through the group of 16 guaranteed contracts and decide how best to get down to the regular-season limit, with consolidation trades among the options on the table. It is the sort of early-fall roster squeeze that can shape more than the final spot count, because it also reveals how the team views fit, depth and which pieces are most useful around the core.
JJ Redick added another layer to the picture by discussing likely starters and the plan to widen the rotation, which makes those roster decisions even more important. In a camp built around competition, the Lakers are trying to balance immediate readiness with long-term flexibility, and Pelinka made it clear that a two-for-one trade is one possible path if the right deal surfaces. For now, the focus is on seeing how the roster fits together before opening night forces a final answer. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Made A Huge Walker Kessler Bet With One Big Risk
The Lakers have made a major move to shore up their frontcourt, completing a sign-and-trade deal for Walker Kessler on a $129.5 million contract. It is the kind of swing that signals real intent, with the team clearly valuing his defensive presence and the way he can complement the star talent already in place.
Rob Pelinka said the Lakers did their homework on Kesslers medical situation and are confident his shoulder injury is fully healed, which is a big part of why they were comfortable moving forward. Even so, as with any investment of this size, the real question for Los Angeles is whether the defensive upgrade they believe they are getting can hold up once the season starts and the games get physical. [Read more 🡒]