The Los Angeles Lakers have built a big three that projects to anchor the team's efforts on both ends of the floor with Luka Doncic, Walker Kessler, and Austin Reaves. The NBA has placed an extraordinary emphasis on the value of depth, however, and Los Angeles has learned by experience in recent years how top-heavy teams have a self-imposed ceiling.
Thankfully, the Lakers have invested significant money and resources into becoming a deeper team. The question is: Who needs to step up to prevent history from repeating itself?
Los Angeles signed, drafted, or traded for eight new players during the 2026 offseason. That required difficult decisions to be made about long-tenured players such as Rui Hachimura and LeBron James, as well as gambles to be wagered on the way the incoming talent would fit.
That all begins with the four-year, $52 million contract it gave to X-Factor and projected sixth man Sandro Mamukelashvili. Though it may sound extreme, he could make or break their second unit.
3. Sandro Mamukelashvili
The Lakers invested an annual salary of $13 million into a big man whose optimal position is unclear and whose defensive output includes significant question marks. Another way of looking at it: The Lakers invested an annual salary of $13 million into a big man who can transform their offense.
Much of the latter point was on display during the preseason, when Mamukelashvili showed why the Lakers value him: His positional ambiguity can be a strength.
Mamukelashvili is 6'9" and 240 pounds, but he's also a fluid athlete who can shoot, put the ball on the floor, and create for his teammates. That helped him become something of an offensive hub during preseason play, as the Lakers turned to him for just about everything.
Whether he was setting screens, delivering handoffs, leading the transition attack as the ball-handler, shooting off the bounce, burying corner threes, or converting post-ups, Mamukelashvili did it all.
Come the regular season, the Lakers will need that to continue. They've ranked No. 29 in bench points per game in each of the past two seasons and desperately need to improve the second unit's production if they hope to win without overburdening Doncic and Reaves.
If Mamukelashvili can also become a more reliable defender, then he could play big postseason minutes and elevate the Lakers to an even higher tier.
2. Quentin Grimes
Outside of finding a true interior anchor, a strong case can be made that the Lakers had no bigger priority than landing a point-of-attack defender who could take on opposing teams' best guards. Doncic and Reaves are spectacular offensive players and, at times, underrated defenders, but neither excels in on-ball matchups against quicker scorers or playmakers.
That's exactly why Grimes is on this list, as he has the tone-setting ability to pick players up at 94 feet and contain the oppositions' best guards both on and away from the ball.
The good news is that Grimes has been showcasing his ability to pick players up off of inbound passes throughout the preseason. The better news is that he's coming off of a season during which he spent 61.15 percent of his possessions defending guards, per Basketball Index.
During that time, he ranked in the 81st percentile in matchup difficulty, the 87th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, and the 93rd percentile in off-ball chaser defense.
The question mark that puts Grimes on this list is his jump shot. He's a catch-and-shoot specialist who buried 38.3 percent of his attempts in said scenarios in 2025-26, but he's also coming off of a season during which he shot 33.4 percent from beyond the arc overall—the second time in three seasons he's finished below 34.0 percent.
If Grimes continues to struggle as an overall shooter, his impact could be limited. If he can stabilize his jump shot and continue to thrive defensively, however, he can complete the Lakers' perimeter.
1. Whoever starts at the 4
While its been fun to watch the competition unfold for minutes at the 4, the position remains the Lakers’ biggest question mark. Los Angeles desperately needs a forward who can excel at the point of attack on defense and space the floor for Walker Kessler to be able to thrive inside on offense.
With a cast of players whose NBA status and future is up in the air, whoever starts the most games at the 4 will need to exceed expectations for the Lakers to realize their potential.
The likes of Jake LaRavia, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams have all made strong cases for a spot in the starting lineup. Each offer intensity on the defensive end of the floor and have showcased the ability to shoot at an at least respectable level.
Though his jump shot remains a concern, Adou Thiero has also auditioned for an increased role entering his second season with the Lakers.
Regardless of who ultimately gets the nod—or, perhaps more fairly, who starts the most games among them this season—two-way quality is a non-negotiable. Los Angeles needs a 4 who can defend opposing teams' best tall wings and forwards, as well as offer catch-and-shoot value alongside Doncic and Reaves.
If the Lakers struggle to get those type of contributions, they may need to turn to the trade market to resolve what would be a critical weakness.
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