The Lakers’ 2026-27 season is shaping up as one of the more fascinating ones in the league, and the reason is pretty clear: this is no longer LeBron James’ team. The franchise is moving into a Luka Doncic-led era, and with only eight holdovers from the 2025-26 roster, the group around him looks dramatically different.
That kind of turnover usually puts even more pressure on the supporting cast, especially with Doncic and Austin Reaves sitting at the center of JJ Redick’s main rotation. Redick wants flexibility, not a rigid script, and that’s where Sandro Mamukelashvili enters the picture.
Mamukelashvili signed a four-year deal worth $52 million, and Redick appears to view that as money well spent. The Lakers head coach has already made it clear that he won’t be tied to a fixed starting five in 2026-27. Doncic and Reaves are the constants, but Mamukelashvili is the kind of player who can move between the starting lineup and the bench depending on what the Lakers need.
That versatility is exactly why Redick sounds so high on him.
"I think the addition of Mamu gives us a lot of lineup flexibility because of his skill set and who he is as a basketball player. When we did our free agency call with him, he said something like, 'Where do you see me in the lineup?
What do you view me as?' And I said, 'Don't get into positions right now.
I hate positions. I view you as a basketball player,'" Redick said on ESPN LA 710.
For a 27-year-old player, that kind of trust matters. Mamukelashvili may not be the headliner on paper, but Redick’s comments make it sound like he could end up being one of the most valuable pieces on the roster. In a season built around change, he looks like a player who can help hold the whole thing together.
In Other News...
Lakers Bring Back Familiar Faces With Two-Way Spots Suddenly In Play
The Lakers have filled a couple of training camp openings by bringing back two familiar names, signing William Kyle III and Cole Swider to Exhibit 10 contracts. Both players now get a chance to spend camp in the same building where roster spots are being sorted out, and both will have a path to stay in the mix if they can turn that opportunity into something more.
What makes the move more interesting is how quickly the two-way picture has opened up around them. Los Angeles recently waived two other players on Exhibit 10 deals to create space, and that leaves Kyle and Swider positioned to compete for one of the spots that can still change a fringe players outlook in a hurry. For a team still sorting through the edges of its roster, those kinds of camp battles can matter just as much as the names already locked in. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Trade Came After Utah Faced A Serious Threat
Walker Kesslers arrival in Los Angeles came after a tense stretch in Utah, where the Jazz were trying to keep one of their most valuable young bigs in place while weighing the cost of a major extension. The Lakers landed him through a sign-and-trade package built around two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, a price that underscores how aggressively they moved to bring in a center with real long-term value.
Kessler ended up on a four-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers after reportedly passing on a five-year, $140 million offer from Utah, a choice that adds another layer to how the deal unfolded. Rob Pelinka also said Kessler is fully healthy after shoulder surgery, which only heightens the interest in what Los Angeles believes it added, even as the full story behind Utahs urgency continues to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Could Not Hide What LeBron's Exit Meant To Him
LeBron James departure after eight seasons with the Lakers landed hard inside the locker room, and Austin Reaves did not try to mask it. Reaves, who developed a close relationship with James, spoke openly about how much the veteran meant to him as both a teammate and a mentor, a reminder of how much of last seasons identity was built around the two of them sharing the floor and the day-to-day rhythm that came with it.
Now Reaves is staring at a bigger role in Los Angeles heading into next season, with the Lakers needing more from him on and off the ball. Meanwhile, James heads to Philadelphia on a two-year deal, where the 76ers suddenly look every bit like a superteam alongside Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, leaving the Lakers to figure out what life looks like without one of the leagues defining figures. [Read more 🡒]