The Lakers spent the offseason checking off the exact boxes they set out to fill: build around Luka Doncic, bring back Austin Reaves and land an A-list center. Nearly a month into free agency, they’ve done that and added a wave of new faces, including Sandro Mamukelashvili, who arrived after playing for the Toronto Raptors.
Mamukelashvili is already making the kind of first impression that plays well in Los Angeles. Like plenty of NBA players, he grew up looking up to Kobe Bryant and trying to live by Bryant’s famous Mamba Mentality. He took that admiration a step further with a tattoo of his own twist on Bryant’s mentality, via Lakers Nation.
That alone should endear him to Lakers fans, who still hold Bryant in the highest regard. It also fits the mindset Mamukelashvili is bringing into his first season with the franchise.
On the court, he’s expected to stretch his game even further in the 2026-27 campaign, with more three-point attempts coming while he shares the floor with Doncic. The two have already connected, too. Doncic reached out after Mamukelashvili’s deal with the Lakers was announced.
The 27-year-old big man is coming off the best season of his career in Toronto. He set personal highs in points at 11.2, rebounds at 4.9 and assists at 1.9, while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
That production gives the Lakers a look at what Mamukelashvili can bring as a stretch four. He could also end up starting at power forward next to center Walker Kessler in the frontcourt.
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Lakers New Bigs Just Sent A Message Fans Needed To Hear
The Lakers spent the offseason reshaping the front of their roster, and the newest arrivals are already leaning into the expectation that comes with it. Sandro Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler both arrived with the kind of message fans usually want to hear from fresh faces in Los Angeles: they are here to compete, embrace the role, and fit into a group that is trying to push past last seasons disappointment.
Mamukelashvilis four-year deal gives the Lakers another big body who can stretch the floor, while Kessler brings the sort of interior presence that can change how a team looks on both ends. With several other additions also in the mix, the Lakers have clearly tried to deepen the roster rather than simply patch holes, and now the bigger question is how quickly all of those pieces can settle in once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]