When the floodgates opened for the Lakers’ offseason additions, there were four players who received long-term deals from the franchise.

Walker Kessler: The big man the Lakers coveted for years and were finally able to make their marquee addition via a sign-and-trade with the Jazz, and inking Kessler to a four-year, $130 contract. 

Quentin Grimes: The versatile, two-way guard the Lakers signed to a four-year, $60 million deal, and is expected to be a Day 1 starter after bouncing around the NBA (the Lakers are his fourth team in 2 ½ years) over the last couple of years. 

Austin Reaves: The Lakers’ homegrown star whose story from undrafted–to-All-Star caliber player over the last five years has been well-documented, earning him a four-year, $180 million deal.

And Sandro Mamukelashvili: The four-year, $52 million signee who’ll be the biggest swing factor for whether the Lakers’ offseason moves were a success. 

Mamukelashvili, who’s entering his sixth season in the league aftr being the No. 54 pick out of Seton Hall in the 2021 draft, was relatively unproven through his first few seasons in the league. 

The combination of his size (6-foot-9, 240 pounds) and skillset (versatile offensive connector) has made him an intriguing player.

But playing time opportunities didn’t come by easily, with Mamukelashvili averaging fewer than 16 minutes per game in each of his first four seasons in the league with the Bucks and Spurs.

Mamukelashvili’s final 18 games of the 2024-25 season with the Spurs, in which he averaged 10.4 points (49.3% shooting, 37.2% on 3-pointers), 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes per game, opened up a sixth man role opportunity for him with the Raptors. 

He 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. 

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. 

It all may sound simple, but those were the type of skills the Lakers were coveting entering the offseason.

“We gotta be better [at] being able to dribble, pass and shoot,” Coach JJ Redick said in May. “That sounds simple, but that’s just the reality.”

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. 

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.

Does Mamukelashvili come with defensive concerns? Absolutely. He isn’t a strong perimeter or interior defender.

But he can also change the rhythm of the Lakers’ offense, especially in transition or when Luka Doncic isn’t on the floor. 

And with the Lakers committing less than 8% of their cap space to Mamukelashvili over the next three years, his upside is worth taking a gamble on.