The Los Angeles Lakers have three starters (Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler) accounted for beyond any doubt. Most would safely assume Quentin Grimes bumps that number to four when the season starts. Then, there is the power forward position.
This is the last domino among the starting lineup that really does not have full clarity just yet. There are certainly players internally, and even externally, who could fill the vacancy. However, the Lakers are still a team whose offseason business is not quite finished. Until it is, there is reasonable guess work that will go toward trying to identify how the franchise solves their starting forward problem.
1 — Give Sandro Mamukelashvili his first real shot at a starting gig in LA
The path of least resistance when it comes to filling the power forward void is to be the team who finally gives Sandro Mamukelashvili a shot to be a full-time starter in the NBA. The growth of the Georgian big man over the years could be leading to that moment.
After hanging around in the league with the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs, Mamukelashvili firmly broke out with the Toronto Raptors in 2025-26. Mamu finished the year averaging 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Raptors bench big even received some Sixth Man of the Year votes.
Mamukelashvili's ability to stretch the court and read plays at a high level as a decision-maker makes the offensive fit among the starters intriguing, but there are a couple of reasons to steer clear of this option despite that.
Firstly, this leaves the starting unit without a true wing stopper on the defensive end. Mamukelashvili is not a bad defender, but that is not a role he is suited for. To go with that, the frontcourt depth becomes a lot more suspect and thin without having Mamu come off the bench.
Considering both of those things makes the idea of starting Mamukelashvili a polarizing call.
2 — Find a new starting power forward via the trade or free agent market
The Lakers are currently over the roster limit for next season with 16 players accounted for. That means, one way or another, their offseason maneuvering is not finished yet. Perhaps this means Rob Pelinka can find a two-for-one move that brings back a starting forward.
Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt are known as players who have been shopped by the Lakers. Pelinka has not found any willing takers just yet.
Jonathan Kuminga continues to be a player in free agency who is endlessly linked to Los Angeles via sign-and-trade. Doncic's former teammate in Dallas, P.J. Washington, is also known to be available. If the Lakers are looking for an external solution to their problem, it could be one of those two.
3 — Experiment with the bolder internal option of Ziaire Williams
Ziaire Williams is in Los Angeles on a one-year, prove-it deal. That type of commitment does not scream starting forward. However, the potential on-court fit does inspire the thought.
Unlike Mamukelashvili, Williams does fit the wing stopper role on the defensive end to a tee. The young forward has also put in the work to improve his shooting ability and the Lakers must have liked what they saw to give him a contract after getting to watch a private workout.
Marc Stein reported: "A four-person Lakers contingent ... went to watch the 6-foot-9 Williams at a private workout ... to gauge the state of Williams' game and recent efforts to sharpen his perimeter shooting."
If the Lakers are confident Doncic can bring out the best in Williams on offense, similarly to what the superstar point guard has done for many of his previous teammates, then the newly-inked forward fits the starting gig pretty well. JJ Redick just needs to be bold enough to make the call.
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