The first two seasons of the JJ Redick era have been marked by excellent top-end talent and a glaring lack of depth. Entering year three, however, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a concerted effort to provide Redick with bench players who can generate offense.
Though Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will likely play big minutes and still carry a heavy workload, the Lakers' ability to create points when they aren't on the court is their biggest upgrade to date.
Los Angeles didn't just struggle to create bench points. They were among the worst in the NBA at doing so. In 2024-25, they ranked No. 29 in bench points per game and No. 28 in bench points per 100 possessions. In 2025-26, they checked in at No. 29 and No. 23.
In other words: If the starters weren't creating offense, no one was—and the sustainability of Los Angeles' success was thus jeopardized by its own roster construction.
The Lakers made significant progress toward resolving that issue, however, when they signed Collin Sexton. Sexton is a proven, productive, efficient, and assertive scorer and playmaker who should anchor a vastly improved second unit. Joining him will likely be one of Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili in volume scoring roles of their own—with the other likely starting.
Throw in promising rookie Cameron Carr and a cast of potential 3-and-D wings, and the Lakers' second unit could go from putrid to one of the better groups in the NBA.
Lakers finally have a second unit that can stand on its own two feet
Sexton is the key figure as a shot creator who actively seeks to create offense for himself and others. He enters the 2026-27 season with career averages of 18.3 points and 3.6 assists per game, as well as 22.8 points and 4.5 assists per 36 minutes. He's amassed those numbers while shooting at a clip of .472/.389/.841.
Sexton's presence alone should thus help the Lakers create offense that doesn't require one of the ball-dominant starters to be involved with the play, let alone on the court.
Mamukelashvili is a likely reserve, as well, as an imperfect fit next to starting center Walker Kessler. If the Lakers sign Jonathan Kuminga, it will become even more likely that Mamukelashvili comes off the bench. In that scenario, the second unit would have a sharpshooting big who averaged 11.2 points per game and 18.4 per 36 minutes on .523/.389/.747 shooting in 2025-26.
If it's Grimes who comes off the bench instead, then the second unit would be adding a catch-and-shoot specialist who averaged 16.4 points and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes in 2025-26.
Lakers finally have the bench talent to take pressure off of starters
Joining the veterans is Carr—an athletic 6'5" wing who shoots threes with volume and plays comfortably above the rim. It's unclear what he'll be able to offer as a rookie, but his 3-and-D potential, as well as his upside as a shot creator, give Los Angeles something to build with.
It's also worth noting that Jake LaRavia averaged 8.2 points per game a season ago, which would offer another consistent source of quality scoring.
Furthermore, Dalton Knecht is still a talented shooter and shot creator, and Kevon Looney has a career average of 4.5 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. Even Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams have flashed 3-and-D proficiency.
If the Lakers position the talent they've assembled to create and provide the offense they're capable of, the second unit should go from an absolute weakness to a new strength.
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