“The other spots will not be two white guys,” Lakers coach JJ Redick joked to reporters, laying out his current thinking on the team’s starting lineup for the 2026-27 NBA season. With training camps kicking off on Monday, Sept. 29, Redick and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka just gave us a peek behind the curtain, and while some spots are locked down, the head coach is clearly still figuring things out for the rest of his roster.
Luka’s New Running Mates and the Remaining Battles
It’s official: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and center Walker Kessler are all penciled in as starters. That’s a solid core right there, no doubt. But Redick made it clear that those other starting positions are still up for grabs. Pelinka explained the team had three big goals this offseason, and they definitely hit two of ’em with these guys. Re-signing Austin Reaves was a priority, and he inked a huge four-year, $180 million max contract back in July. Then, the Lakers wanted to grab a “franchise center” to pair with Dončić, and Kessler, at just 25 years old, fits the bill perfectly after signing his own four-year, $130 million deal.
A Youth Movement or a High-Stakes Bet?
Getting Kessler wasn’t cheap, though. The Lakers had to send a TON of draft assets to the Utah Jazz in the trade, including unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030. That’s a serious haul they gave up for their new big man! This all comes as the Lakers are clearly going for a youth movement after LeBron James, the league’s oldest active player and arguably its biggest star, left as a free agent for the Philadelphia 76ers. Besides Kessler, they’ve got some other young talent on the roster, like wing Ziaire Williams (24), guard Quentin Grimes (26), guard Collin Sexton (27), and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (27).
Grimes is expected to play small forward, but the starting power forward spot is still a battle between Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Redick has got some big decisions to make in these coming weeks. It’s gonna be wild to see who steps up and grabs those final starting spots as camp gets underway.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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