Surely, the Los Angeles Lakers have more up their sleeve, right? It is hard to imagine the Lakers can be content with signing just one or two more veteran minimum players and calling it an offseason, considering the obvious roster problem they are continuing to let linger at the moment.
The depth chart on the wings of this team is completely deprived of proven and ready-made quality contributors. It does not truly feel like the job is done if the Lakers are planning to roll into the 2026-27 season with both Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili in starting roles. In all fairness, there have been indicators suggesting Los Angeles has more planned.
Dan Woike reported: "The team, according to league sources who were granted anonymity to freely discuss the Lakers’ offseason moves, is still seeking a young wing to help its perimeter defense."
That could mean at least one more significant rotation-level player will be wearing purple and gold before the offseason is over. However, even in those circumstances, the Lakers are quietly banking on one of, or both, Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero to quickly find their footing next season.
Lakers are immediately pressuring Cameron Carr or Adou Thiero to matter
If things stay relatively quiet for the Lakers from here, neither Carr or Thiero will be afforded the luxury of a slow and controlled developmental season in 2026-27. Unlike last year, JJ Redick should have no problem finding minutes for his young guys with the way their positions are stacking up.
Redick likes to play a nine-man rotation. That much was clear from watching his deployment of the Lakers last season.
Who do those nine currently project as? On top of the aforementioned Grimes and Mamukelashvili, the team's two stars — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — are locked in as starters. It is the same case for newly-arrived Walker Kessler.
Collin Sexton and Deandre Ayton should be safe bets for bench minutes. That leaves two spots open and the fair assumption would be those minutes are coming from the two forward spots.
The Lakers have options like Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt, but neither of them are particularly inspiring. This is where Los Angeles would desperately hope Carr and Thiero can raise the ceiling of their team with instant impact as young players.
Even if accounting for one more potential addition that gets minutes, at least one of Carr or Thiero needs to be that ninth man in the rotation. Ideally, it would be both of them earning the eight and ninth spots for Los Angles to be comfortable with where the roster is.
Carr is exactly the type of athletic wing who is lengthy and can shoot that the Lakers are missing among their minutes distribution right now. Him being ready from the jump would be a massive plus.
Thiero is similarly athletic and bouncy, but there is more work to be done to develop the rougher and rawer edges of his game. Athleticism alone does not get someone on the floor without some semblance a polished arsenal.
If the Lakers' limited asset pool following the Kessler sign-and-trade prevents them from making any more impactful moves, the spotlight will undeniably fall on Carr and Thiero to push their way into the rotation. For Los Angeles' sake, they need to both hit the ground running.
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