Even with Deandre Ayton expected to exercise his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season, the Los Angeles Lakers remain focused on bolstering their frontcourt.
The team is reportedly set to meet with restricted free agents Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler at the start of free agency on Tuesday afternoon, but they won’t be alone in their pursuit and may have to consider potential fallback options.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are interested in Toronto Raptors free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili:
But people around the NBA, tasked with trying to make sense of the evolving free-agency landscape, started to link the Lakers to a wide range of players throughout Monday. One name has come up from multiple league sources: Toronto forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Mamukelashvili reached the open market after he declined his $2.8 million player option on Monday and now could sign a contract that’s worth more than $10 million per season:
Mamukelashvili declined his $2.8 million option with the Raptors Monday, with league sources believing he could command $10 million or more in free agency.
Mamukelashvili is coming off a career year with the Raptors that saw him average 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals in nearly 22 minutes across 80 games. He also continued to improve as a 3-point shooter by making 38.9% of his attempts from behind the arc.
At 6-foot-9, Mamukelashvili would give the Lakers a big who could stretch the floor — an ideal player to pair with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. However, he won’t come cheap and figures to have plenty of suitors, which could complicate things.
The San Antonio Spurs have also been linked to Mamukelashvili and could offer him the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The 27-year-old previously played for the franchise from 2023-25 before spending this past season with the Raptors.
Luka Doncic reportedly wants ‘A-list center’
The Lakers have long touted cap space in the summer of 2026 as their means of building a championship roster around Doncic. The six-time All-Star reportedly made it clear to the front office that he wants to play with an elite center, which likely explains the team’s push to sign one of Duren or Kessler.
It appears both players are far apart in negotiations to return to their respective teams, the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz, so the Lakers believe now is the time to make good on their promise to Doncic.
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