Training camp has brought clarity to what the Lakers’ rotation actually looks like heading into the season. Here’s the full depth chart, position by position, plus the roster decision still looming over the team.
Point Guard
Starter: Luka Dončić — Plays heavy minutes as the primary initiator.
Backup: Collin Sexton — Takes over as a downhill scorer when Dončić rests, with Bronny James getting developmental run behind him.
Shooting Guard
Starter: Austin Reaves — Splits creation duties with Dončić and operates off-ball when they share the court.
Backup: Jaden Hardy — Provides scoring punch off the bench as a change-of-pace perimeter threat.
Small Forward
Starter: Quentin Grimes — The top free-agent addition, tasked with wing defense and floor spacing.
Backup: Matisse Thybulle — A defensive specialist who can guard multiple positions and check the opponent’s top perimeter scorer off the bench.
Power Forward
Starter: Sandro Mamukelashvili — A shooting big who stretches the floor next to Walker Kessler.
Backup: Jarred Vanderbilt / Adou Thiero — Both bring defense and athleticism, with playing time likely dictated by matchups and how much shooting the lineup needs around them.
Center
Starter: Walker Kessler — The defensive anchor and lob threat acquired from Utah.
Backup: Kevon Looney — Championship-tested depth who can hold down the middle when Kessler rests, with Mamukelashvili able to slide up in smaller lineups.
The Numbers Crunch
Here’s the complication: NBA rosters are capped at 15 players once the regular season begins, but the Lakers currently have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, plus a handful of players on Exhibit-10 deals competing for what may be the final spot or two. That means at least one more roster move — a trade or a waiver — is coming before opening night, on top of decisions about which non-guaranteed players stick around for training camp battles.
Two-way players Chris Manon, Arthur Kaluma, and AK Okereke round out the organization’s depth but don’t count against the 15-man limit, giving head coach JJ Redick extra bodies for practice and G League assignments without complicating the main roster math.
We’ll update this depth chart as camp battles play out and the roster gets finalized before the regular season opener.