The Los Angeles Lakers’ revamped roster may be far from perfect, but the many newly added players have brought a sense of anticipation for fans.
Perhaps the player outside of Walker Kessler who has captured the most attention is Georgian big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, whose offensive skillset and 3-point shooting accuracy makes him a true wildcard for the Lakers next season. A 6’9” big man, Mamukelashvili doesn’t leap off the screen physically, but he can help give the Lakers a new dimension on offense. And when there is a generational talent like Luka Doncic on the floor, that usually means awesome things.
Lakers Praised for Signing Mamu
He didn’t really register on our radar perhaps until a day or two before the Lakers signed him to a four-year contract. Signing Mamukelashvili was further proof that the Lakers were looking to maximize their offensive ceiling around Doncic. Whether Mamukelashvili becomes an impact player for L.A. remains to be seen, but there are already plenty of reasons to lavish the Lakers with praise for signing the 27-year-old big man.
“Mamukelashvili finally showcased the skills and offensive versatility that every team in the NBA covets from a frontcourt role player: Shooting. Passing. Keeping the play moving. Being able to play off of primary and secondary ball handlers as a connector within the offense,” wrote Lakers reporter Khobi Price for the California Post. “It all may sound simple, but those were the type of skills the Lakers were coveting entering the offseason.”
Not only does Mamukelashvili possess the skillset to impact multiple areas on the court, but he also represents a clear upgrade over former Lakers fan favorite Rui Hachimura, according to Price.
“The reality is that Mamukelashvili will help in each of those areas in a more well-rounded way compared to former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, or even other options who were available in free agency,” Price wrote. “And because he’s a credible center option in small-ball lineups, Mamukelashvili opens up opportunities for the Lakers to play bigger forwards who aren’t shooting threats (Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero) but can help cover for him on the less glamorous end of the floor.”
Mamu Could Be Bench X-Factor
The Lakers’ roster is incomplete, which could leave players like Mamukelashvili playing multiple positions. The Georgian big man is best-suited to play power forward and perhaps come off the bench, but there is a chance that he could both slide to center and even start some games.
“By using Mamu as the primary backup in the backup at the center spot, to actually get value on his contract. With the amount that they gave him, you need to get Mamu more than 20 minutes a night,” Lakers reporter Trevor Lane said during a recent podcast episode. “And the way to do that might be just allowing him to absorb all the backup five minutes behind Walker Kessler.”
One could strongly argue that the Lakers would be better served bringing Mamukelashvili off the bench. After all, that is the role he has played over his career, and he has been quite productive in that role.
As Price noted, Mamukelashvili, who came off the bench in 67 of the 80 games he played last season, “seized the opportunity, putting together a career year that led to his long-term, lucrative deal with the Lakers: Mamukelashvili’s scoring average (11.2 points), rebounding (4.9 rebounds), assists (1.9), field goal percentage (52.3%) and minutes per game (21.9) with Toronto in 2025-26 were all career-best marks.”
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