The Lakers have spent the early part of the 2026-27 season sorting through a brand-new roster, and Sandro Mamukelashvili just gave them a performance that stood out even in a crowded win.
Los Angeles moved to the top of the Western Conference after beating the Atlanta Hawks, and Mamukelashvili played a major part in that result. He posted a season-high 23 points, added eight rebounds, and finished with a game-high plus-20. He also chipped in a block and a steal, giving the Lakers more than just scoring off the bench.
That was enough for head coach JJ Redick to single him out afterward. Redick went as far as to call the Hawks game Mamukelashvili’s best as a Laker.
The timing mattered, too. Mamukelashvili had come into the game after a rough three-game stretch in which he totaled 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Against Atlanta, though, he looked far more like the versatile contributor the Lakers believed they were getting.
He had shown that kind of all-around impact in preseason, when he was arguably the team’s best player during that run. During the regular season, consistency has been harder to pin down, especially on the scoring side. Even so, he has remained a useful piece for Los Angeles off the bench.
Through 12 games, Mamukelashvili is averaging 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 47.7% from the field and 37.2% from three.
This is his first season in Los Angeles and the first year of a four-year, $52 million deal. The Lakers are the fourth team of his career. He was drafted by the Pacers in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, then traded to the Bucks after being selected.
Before arriving with the Lakers, Mamukelashvili’s best season came with the Raptors. He appeared in 80 games, averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game, and finished 10th in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.
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