The Lakers are heading into the 2026-27 season with a reshaped roster and a lot of eyes on what comes next, starting Wednesday night when they host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. And if the offseason movement pays off the way some around the team believe it can, Los Angeles could have a few major individual honors in its future.
One of the clearest breakout bets is Sandro Mamukelashvili. After a strong preseason that showed off his skill set, the 28-year-old veteran looks like a possible hidden gem for the Lakers.
Ziaire Williams could be the one in the starting power forward spot, which would likely send Mamukelashvili to the bench at the start. Even so, he profiles as a dangerous second-unit piece.
He can shoot it, move it, and work on the glass, and that versatility could turn him into JJ Redick’s best weapon off the bench. There’s even a path where he makes a serious run at NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Austin Reaves is another player set up for a big year, assuming health cooperates. Last season, an injury kept him out for a significant stretch, and with more time on the floor he might have been in the All-Star conversation.
He fit beautifully next to Luka Doncic and took a real leap as a scorer. The expectation now is that he climbs another rung, with his confidence and chemistry with Doncic standing out as major reasons why.
The swing factor is turnovers. If Reaves cuts those down and tightens up defensively, an All-Star nod is very much in play.
Walker Kessler may end up being the biggest defensive addition of the bunch, and the price to get him made that clear. The Lakers sent out two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps in the sign-and-trade that brought him in, after Doncic pushed for the move.
Kessler missed all but five games last season with the Utah Jazz, but Los Angeles still handed him a $130 million deal, a sign of how much faith the team has in him. His value should show up most in the paint, where he can serve as the back-line anchor and rim protector the Lakers have been missing.
That kind of impact could land him on an All-Defensive team, with Second Team feeling like a reachable target.
Doncic, meanwhile, is being projected to take the final step into MVP territory. Last season, he caught fire, especially in March, when he was piling up franchise and career milestones on his way to a second scoring title.
He’ll enter this season carrying a chip on his shoulder after a hamstring injury ended his year early. With the Lakers fully building around him, the stage is set for him to push past the rest of the league’s elite and claim the award that has stayed just out of reach.
The other big theme here is defense, and the belief is that Los Angeles finally has the personnel to fix it. Kessler is central to that, but he won’t be carrying the load alone.
Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams are both expected to matter a great deal on that end, while second-year forward Adou Thiero could also see his role grow. The offense may grab headlines because of all the scoring talent on the roster, but the real separator could be how much sturdier the Lakers become on defense.
That’s why this season feels loaded with possibility for Los Angeles. The team has award candidates, a revamped identity, and a chance to make noise in the Western Conference if the pieces click the way the Lakers believe they can.
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