The Los Angeles Lakers have two lingering questions that will likely be answered over the next few weeks, as it remains to be seen who will be the player cut from the team and the one named to the starting lineup for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season.
Those are the two biggest issues the Lakers have faced for the past month, especially after missing out on Jonathan Kuminga and other top trade and free agent targets to round out a busy summer of building around franchise star Luka Doncic.
Still, with just a week before media day and only a little bit of time left before the start of training camp, those questions still haven’t been answered.
However, according to one Lakers writer, a timeline appears to be emerging for when fans will finally get an answer to these lingering issues.
Lakers Timeline On Final Roster Cut, Power Forward For Starting Lineup
The Lakers have 16 players currently on the roster, one more than the league allows them to have to start the upcoming NBA season.
Additionally, while Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and Walker Kessler are all expected to be in the team’s starting lineup for opening night, there hasn’t been any reporting on who will fill the power forward spot.
Despite those two questions still unanswered, according to Svyatoslav Rovenchuk, writing for LakeShowLife.com, the Lakers’ training camp will likely decide those two remaining topics.
“After training camp, there should be a better idea of who is the most expendable. On top of that, the Lakers can answer other questions which should help them make their choice. The conversation around the fifth starter should be key to that,” he wrote.
“How badly do the Lakers need someone new in the building to fill that final starting spot? Can Los Angeles rely on one of the players they already have?” added Rovenchuk. “The answers to those questions could heavily factor in for Pelinka. If someone like Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, or otherwise proves capable of holding the fort at starting forward, the coming roster decision gets made easier. The Lakers can simply cut the dead weight.”
Lakers training camp begins on September 29, the day after the franchise’s September 28 media day.
“With training camp right around the corner, the Lakers can use that to make a more informed decision on who to keep around,” the writer added. “Training camp should offer the Lakers valuable insight on how to finalize the roster.”
What We Know About The Remaining LA Questions
As it relates to who won’t be on the roster for the Lakers’ opening night game, there are a few candidates who could be waived or cut in the coming weeks.
Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Thiero, Williams, even Matisse Thybulle, Jarred Vanderbilt, and rookie Cameron Carr should all feel like they need to prove their spot on the team’s roster; as though each has their own skill set, any one of them could be on the chopping block.
The Lakers have tried to trade Knecht in the past, so he’s a strong candidate to not make the final roster. Hardy and Williams are also new and still on the outside, so they likely aren’t super safe either.
The other names, including Vanderbilt, Thybulle, James, and Carr, all appear safe, but that’s no guarantee they play in the Purple and Gold this season.
Additionally, while there’s a chance a few of these aren’t on the roster very soon, a few are also in contention to be the Lakers’ starting power forward next season.
Those official candidates appear to be Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Thybulle, Vanderbilt, Thiero, and even Williams.
Though none of them are the superstar names the Lakers were linked to in trade rumors and free agency this summer, they all bring something to the table.
However, whoever does end up joining the starting lineup, assuming no other big roster moves are made, will have to be a strong three-point shooter and versatile defender. Despite no real reporting on the decision, LaRavia and Mamukelashvili are likely the two best candidates for that role.
The Lakers are on a ticking clock for those two decisions, and it looks like the upcoming training camp will decide the fate of who will be off the roster and who will be promoted to the starting lineup.
Expect media day next week to be a time when the pressure will grow on Pelinka and the front office to finally start to have answers to those two lingering questions.
Timeline Revealed On Lakers Final Roster Cut, Starting Lineup Decision