Once LeBron James announced his decision not to return to the Lakers, GM Rob Pelinka set to work on filling out the roster around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. His first order of business was finding a center, and it wasn’t long before they struck a deal for former Jazz big man Walker Kessler.
With their big three set, the Lakers shifted focus to building up the supporting cast, quickly settling on Georgian-American swingman Sandro Mamukelashvili. While fans have been indifferent toward the signing, the Lakers’ brass believes he could be a big piece for them next to Kessler in the frontcourt.
“Mamukelashvili is a gifted offensive player the Lakers think will slot nicely next to Kessler,” reported Dan Woike of The Athletic. “A Toronto Raptors source, granted anonymity because the deal isn’t official, pointed to Mamukelashvili’s floor spacing (he shot 38.9 percent last season with a quick lefty release) as a strength. He also has some positive decision-making traits that pop in his highlight reels.”
Defense has been a big concern for the new-age Lakers, but Kessler alone should help them improve on that end. That’s not to mention the addition of guys like Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, who make up for some of Luka’s shortcomings. Out of all the new players, however, Mamukelashvili’s arrival may be the most underrated. He was relatively obscure in Toronto, but if all goes right, he could become one of the league’s biggest surprise stories next season.
While Mamu isn’t someone you want defending the opposing team’s best player, he’s valuable for his floor spacing, shot- making, and secondary playmaking. In 80 games for the Raptors this past season, he averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 52.3% shooting and 38.9% shooting from three. He finished sixth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Between Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers will always have some shooting on the floor, but it doesn’t hurt to find additional floor spacers. With Mamu, the Lakers have someone who can score on the perimeter, and that’s important for someone like Kessler, who needs space and freedom to operate under the rim.
Owed $52 million over the next four years, Los Angeles broke tradition by giving Mamu a long-term deal, a sign of their confidence that he can thrive in these surroundings. Whether or not he lives up to expectations remains to be seen, but there’s no going back now.
For the Lakers’ sake, they have to hope they made the right call this summer, or it could jeopardize their future with Luka Doncic. At 27, he’s itching to compete, and the Lakers only have two years before he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.
Fortunately, it seems like they did their research this summer, and it shows in how much they value Mamu. He’s not a name most fans would have considered to start the summer, but he brings the size, shooting, and playmaking that the Lakers have been looking for at power forward. If he proves himself as an ideal fit next season, we’ll have to give credit to Rob Pelinka for thinking ahead of the game.
