The Lakers have reshaped their roster around Luka Doncic, but one issue keeps hanging over the starting lineup: the wing spot still looks unsettled.
That was the read from insider Jovan Buha on the Buha’s Block podcast, where he argued that Los Angeles has built out a roster full of useful pieces, but not enough proven starters. In his view, the fifth spot in the lineup is still a real problem.
“I would say that I think there’s clearly a hole as currently constructed. The season is not played on paper. And to your point, whether it’s Ziaire, whether it’s Matisse, whether it’s Adou, whether it’s Cameron Carr, whether it’s Jake, whether it’s Mamu, I think those are the six realistic options to be that fifth starter.”
Buha said there is still a path where one of those players earns the job, and Quentin Grimes could slide to the bench. But he also made clear he sees that outcome as more hopeful than likely.
“And who knows? Maybe they go with a couple of those guys and Quentin Grimes comes off the bench.
One of those guys could pop and emerge as the best candidate for the job, at least on the roster. There’s a world in which the roster is fine.
I just want to say that, in my opinion, that’s wishful thinking. That’s like purple-and-gold optimism that’s not necessarily based in reality.
Like, I just think objectively, looking at the roster, looking at what every player has done up to this point in their career, they only have three guys that are clear-cut, no-brainer starters.”
He also pointed to the current group of options as players who have largely operated in bench roles rather than as established starters.
“You can put in Quentin Grimes, you could put in Mamu, but those guys were not even starting on worse teams than the Lakers have aspirations to, you know, be better than, right? Like, Quentin Grimes was a bench guy on a Philly team. They made the second round, but that was a, you know, lower-seeded East team.”
“Similar, Toronto was battling for home court, you know, pushed Cleveland to seven in Round 1, but Mamu also got played off the floor in that series. So, like, just look at some of the other options.
Mamu, Grimes, Sexton, like, these guys are all bench guys. And that doesn’t mean they can’t grow into being starters, but you are kind of wish-casting that”
“I think the roster makes sense. It’s a lot of complementary pieces, and complementary pieces specifically around Luka, Austin, and Kessler.
They’re just going to need a couple guys to make leaps into being clear starters. And I’m not saying it’s impossible.
It’s just like that’s more of a hope than a certainty, than a guarantee.”
For now, the Lakers’ three locked-in starters are Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler. Quentin Grimes is the favorite to fill the fourth spot, but the fifth role remains the question.
Los Angeles has tried to address that with trade talks for P.J. Washington and Jonathan Kuminga, though nothing has gotten done yet. If that stays the case, the Lakers may have to open the season with one of their newer additions in that final starting slot.
Buha named Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Cameron Carr, Jake LaRavia, and Sandro Mamukelashvili as possible answers. Still, he stressed that banking on one or even two of those players to make an instant jump into reliable starter territory is a gamble.
The numbers show why the debate is real. Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists last season while shooting 33.4% from three.
Mamukelashvili put up 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds. Collin Sexton averaged 15.4 points on 48% shooting from the field and 39.3% from three.
None of that means the Lakers are dealing with bad players. The issue is more specific than that: most of these names have been viewed as supporting pieces, not established starters on a team with championship expectations.
That’s why Washington and Kuminga remain such important targets. Washington brings proven two-way production and playoff experience alongside Doncic, while Kuminga offers more athleticism and upside than most of the options currently on the roster.
Until a deal comes together, though, the Lakers are left to trust internal growth. If one of these complementary pieces can become a dependable starter, the roster fits together more cleanly. If not, the team is opening the season with hope - and not much certainty - in that final spot.
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