The Los Angeles Lakers still have two roster needs to address and not a ton of time left.
The question surrounding the Lakers is who the fifth and final starter will be. L.A. has four players — Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes — who appear to be locks for the starting lineup, but the power forward position looks especially tricky.
A likely candidate for the spot would be someone who can handle point-of-attack defense on one end of the floor and spot up and cash 3-pointers on the other. So, will the Lakers look internally to address this role, or will they explore the free agent or trade markets to see who is out there?
Lakers’ Projected Final Starter, According to a Major Vote
According to a fan vote of over 4000 participants conducted by Lakers Nation, one newcomer is quite comfortably seen as the team’s final starter.
“That fifth spot seems to be up in the air, however, with multiple different possibilities depending on what the Lakers are looking for,” Lakers Nation’s Corey Hansford wrote. “But if the Lakers fans get what they want, it will be Sandro Mamukelashvili who will be starting when the Lakers open the season against the Golden State Warriors. Mamukelashvili got nearly 40% of the more than 4,000 votes on the poll, winning by a pretty wide margin over the other options. Ziaire Williams narrowly edged out fellow newcomer Matisse Thybulle for the second-most votes while Jake LaRavia was a distant fourth.”
One of the many moves the Lakers made in free agency was signing Mamukelashvili, who is coming off a season with the Toronto Raptors, to a four-year contract worth $52 million. The 27-year-old sharpshooter is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
“It’s easy to see why fans want to see Mamukelashvili with the starters as he is easily the best offensive option of the group, capable of getting his own shot and playing off the Lakers’ primary playmakers, potentially even operating as a hub and creator on that side. However he does come with some drawbacks, particularly defensively as the Lakers would have a hard time matching up with bigger wings.”
For the Raptors last season, Mamukelashvili averaged 11.2 points per game, making 80 appearances and 13 stars, and shot nearly 39 percent from the 3-point line. The offensive-minded forward buried a career-high 115 3-pointers last season.
More On L.A.’s Final Starting Spot
Recently, Lakers reporter Khobi Price named four players who are most likely to be considered for the team’s final starting role. Mamukelashvili was one of the listed candidates.
“Coach JJ Redick said after the 2025-26 season ended that the Lakers needed to be better with dribbling, passing and shooting,” Price wrote. “Mamukelashvili helps in all of those areas as a big man who can pass, run the floor, dribble and shoot at a high level. At 27 years old and entering his sixth season in the NBA, Mamukelashvili should be entering the prime of his career.”
Mamukelashvili appears to be a strong candidate to land the Lakers’ final starting job. But if Redick sides with familiarity, someone like Jake LaRavia could win the nod.
“LaRavia may not bring the offensive versatility that Mamukelashvili does,” Price wrote, “and may not be as good of a perimeter defender as Thybulle, but he’s a better defender than Mamukelashvili and has more experience guarding bigger forwards than Thybulle.”
Whom the Lakers turn to as their starting power forward will likely get discussed until the beginning of the 2026-27 season, unless the team makes a notable move before then.
Lakers’ Final Starter Projected to Be 6’10” 3-Point Sniper Next to Luka Doncic