The Lakers’ summer overhaul brought in plenty of new names, but two of the frontcourt additions have already started setting expectations for what they’ll bring to Los Angeles.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, who signed a four-year, $52 million contract, made it clear he wants his game to be built on effort and consistency. He also stressed that he understands what it means to wear purple and gold.
“What you can expect from me on the court is hustle, never giving up, make sure I don’t take possessions off, play hard, make the right decisions,” Mamukelashvili said, via the Lakers. “But at the same time, just somebody who embraced being a Laker. Understands how big it is to be part of this big family, and I want to win a championship.
“So, every day I’ll come out there and play hard and try everything to get as close as to that as possible,” Mamukelashvili added.
That kind of approach tends to play well in Los Angeles, where fans usually reward players who bring energy and leave it all on the floor. Mamukelashvili has the production to back up the optimism, too. In 2025-26 with the Toronto Raptors, he averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from three-point range.
The Lakers are going to ask him to keep letting it fly from deep, and he sounds ready for that role. He also said the move itself still feels real to him.
“To see my name on a Lakers jersey, it feels surreal,” Mamukelashvili said. “Organization is a top tier.
I guess it’s one of the best accomplishments in my life. So, I’m proud of myself.
I’m blessed and grateful.”
Mamukelashvili’s connection to the franchise runs deeper than this summer’s signing. He grew up a Kobe Bryant fan and got a “Mamba Mentality” tattoo while at Seton Hall, where he spent four seasons with the Pirates.
He was then taken with the No. 54 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, who traded his rights to the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s also why he wears No.
The bigger frontcourt swing, though, was Walker Kessler. The Lakers landed him in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, sending out two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps before locking him into a four-year, $130 million deal.
Kessler, 25, said the fans can expect a nightly battle from him.
“Lakers fans, what you can expect from me this season is someone who’s going to compete every night,” Kessler said, via the Lakers. “Trying to win and just having a lot of fun doing it.”
He had already talked about his excitement for the move and pushed back on concerns about the shoulder injury that ended his season. Kessler played only five games in 2025-26 for Utah before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but the short stint was impressive: 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.
That kind of rim protection and rim-running is exactly the sort of interior presence the Lakers needed alongside Luka Doncic.
Mamukelashvili and Kessler are part of a much larger wave of additions that also includes Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, and Ziaire Williams. After finishing fourth in the Western Conference at 53-29 last season, the Lakers will see whether this revamped group can push even higher. The team is optimistic about what it can do offensively, and that side of the floor should be where this new-look roster makes its mark.
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