Are the Lakers Better With the Revamped Roster Than They Were Before?

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers · Jul 2, 2026 · 25m

Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton. These are the big names we know will be on the roster next year after a flurry of activity on Wednesday.

There's a lot to like about the new guys, starting with youth (Austin Reaves is now the oldest player on the team), offensive players who can put pressure on the rim, a defensive anchor in Kessler, multi-year contracts that can give the Lakers a little continuity going forward, and so on. There's stuff to worry about, most notably the lack of a wing defender (or really, wings at all). The Lakers gave up all their draft…