When it comes to the Lakers\u2019 lineup rotation for 2026-27, it\u2019ll look a lot different for the team and coach JJ Redick compared to when the 2025-26 season ended just a few months ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After an offseason roster reconstruction<\/a>, over half of the players on the Lakers\u2019 roster (nine players) will be new faces.<\/p>\n And that doesn\u2019t include younger players looking to fight for more playing time, such as second-year forward Adou Thiero<\/a> and third-year guard Bronny James<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n While there are multiple players guaranteed to be featured in the Lakers\u2019 rotation as long as they\u2019re healthy and available, there are still several spots to fill.<\/p>\n In light of training camp starting next week, and preseason games kicking off in 1 \u00bd weeks, here is the California Post\u2019s best projection for what the Lakers\u2019 rotation will look like once the regular season tips off in a month:<\/p>\n Starting lineup locks<\/p>\n Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are locks to start as the Lakers\u2019 star players. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get the easy decisions out of the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n Doncic and Reaves are the Lakers\u2019 star players, and were the league\u2019s highest-scoring duo during the 2025-26 regular season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to sending the Jazz two unprotected first-round draft picks and two protected first\u2013round picks, the Lakers are paying Kessler at least $30 million<\/a> in each of the next few seasons after having interest in him the last few years.\u00a0<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t make that investment to bring him off of the bench.\u00a0<\/p>\n Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are sharpied as starters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fourth, fifth starters for Lakers<\/p>\n Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia<\/p>\n From investment and skillset standpoints, the expectation is Grimes will be a Day 1 starter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Grimes will be the Lakers\u2019 fourth-highest paid player this season ($13.9 million salary) after signing a four-year, $60 million contract in July.\u00a0<\/p>\n New Lakers guard Quentin Grimes should be a starter because of his skills and the investment the franchise made to sign him. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n And his complementary skills as a shooter and point-of-attack defender fill the needs the team has around their three marquee players.\u00a0<\/p>\n Not only is Grimes a lock for the rotation, but it\u2019s a safe bet he\u2019ll be a starter, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n