The Lakers may have enough star power to hang with anybody, but the real squeeze point is already clear: how does JJ Redick keep a win-now roster humming while still carving out room for the young guys?
That’s the issue one NBA insider flagged ahead of the 2026-27 season, and it’s not a small one. Los Angeles is trying to compete at the highest level while also figuring out what it has in players like Adou Thiero, Bronny James, and Cameron Carr. That kind of balancing act can get messy fast.
“I do think Jake [LaRavia], whether he starts or comes off the bench, is going to factor into the rotation. JJ showed it last year; he started half the season,” said insider Jovan Buha.
“I think Jake will play, but I think this is one of the minor tensions of the Lakers’ season is you want to develop a dude in Cameron Carr. At the same time, you’re in win-now mode.
This is not like a rebuilding season, this is not another gap year, this is not a let’s just see what we have in Adou and Carr, and let the chips fall where they may.’ No, you’re trying to win a championship this year, and you’re trying to show Luka Doncic that it’s worth signing that extension next summer.
So, that’s the tension here of who will help the Lakers win more tomorrow vs who will help the Lakers win more in a year. How do you negotiate that, and that’s something the NBA will have to figure out.”
That tension sits at the center of everything for Los Angeles. Luka Doncic’s arrival in 2025 reset the clock and shoved the Lakers straight into win-now territory, with the pressure only growing from there.
It also explains why the Lakers made the moves they did, including the trade for Walker Kessler and the massive contract extension for Austin Reaves. On paper, the group around Doncic looks formidable, and the Lakers are banking on that trio to carry them deep.
But the future matters too, and the roster has plenty of young names waiting for real chances. Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Bronny James, and Dalton Knecht all sit in that mix, and if Los Angeles handles their development the right way, there’s room for real internal growth.
That’s where Redick comes in. He has to thread the needle between chasing wins now and keeping the younger players engaged enough to matter later.
There isn’t an easy formula for that. The coach will likely lean toward the youngsters who help the most right away, but the broader challenge is keeping the whole room aligned while chasing a title and trying to convince Doncic the future is worth sticking around for.
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Lakers Frontcourt Overhaul Could Give JJ Redick An Early Problem
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For JJ Redick, the early question is how quickly those pieces fit together once the games start counting. Kessler and Mamukelashvili give the Lakers a new look up front, but the bigger issue may be whether they can share the floor in a way that works for the rest of the rotation, so the team will be watching their chemistry closely before settling on the best lineup mix. [Read more 🡒]