Fifth starter: Price → LaRavia; Buha still says camp (Williams vs LaRavia)
Yesterday’s briefing carried Heavy’s Sean Deveney quoting a Western Conference assistant who called Ziaire Williams the “best of the worst” fifth starter. Overnight, the California Post’s Khobi Price (Sept. 22 evening) published a full 2026-27 rotation projection that goes the other way at the 4.
Price’s locks: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler. He treats free-agent wing Quentin Grimes (four-year, $60M; ~$13.9M this season) as a Day 1 starter on investment and skillset—shooting plus point-of-attack defense around the big three. For the open forward spot he picks Jake LaRavia: 82 games last season, started nearly half when regulars were out, staff trust, age-25 upside, and familiarity with Dončić/Reaves. Bench locks in his frame: Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili (four-year, $52M), Williams, Matisse Thybulle. Tenth-man contenders: Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Kevon Looney, Jarred Vanderbilt.
That tracks with Jovan Buha (Buha’s Block, recirculated Sept. 22 by Hoops Rumors’ Luke Adams): four locks including Grimes; ideal fifth is multi-positional, off-ball, rebounding, ideally 6'7"+. Buha has defensive concerns with a Dončić–Mamukelashvili–Kessler frontline, doubts Thybulle’s size/rebounding and Vanderbilt/Thiero’s path after modest 2025-26 roles, and narrows the live race to LaRavia vs Williams—decided in camp/preseason. This is columnist projection and podcast analysis—not a Lakers announcement.
NY Post (Price) · Hoops Rumors (Adams / Buha) · LakersWire (Marvi, Deveney WC coach) · Heavy (Deveney)
Roster clock: Roundtable puts Knecht clearest on the bubble
The 16-guaranteed / 15-limit problem is unchanged: Thybulle’s late-July veteran minimum pushed L.A. one over, and someone must be traded or waived before Opening Night (Oct. 21). Price’s Sept. 21 framework (player-for-pick unlikely; 2-for-1 consolidation likeliest; waive-and-stretch window already closed) still stands.
Fresh today: Roundtable’s Carlos Yakimowich (Sept. 23) argues Dalton Knecht is the clearest cut/trade candidate if the roster stays put. Summer adds—Grimes, Sexton, Thybulle, Williams, plus rookie wing Carr—narrowed his minutes path; his case is still shooting next to Dončić/Reaves creators. A trade beats waiving a 2024 first-rounder for nothing; whether a worthwhile offer exists is separate. Other names he floats for evaluation: Bronny James, Thiero, Jaden Hardy. Cutting from the frontcourt is less appealing with Kessler expected to start and Looney as the only true center depth behind him. Treat cut/trade scenarios as analysis, not completed deals.
Roundtable (Yakimowich) · NY Post (Price, Sept. 21 trim options) · Lakers Nation (Hansford)
Ownership: Thrive $30B pitch recirculates; no overnight BOG vote
Hoops Rumors (Sept. 22) recirculates the Wall Street Journal exclusive (Jessica Toonkel / Mark Maurer, Sept. 18): incoming buyers Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger, via Kushner’s Thrive Capital, are pitching investors a path from the $12.5B purchase valuation to at least $30B within ~10 years (bull case higher), with ~$681M projected 2026 revenue (including ~$180M local TV) and assumptions that TV/streaming rights roughly double. Yahoo Sports and LakersWire amplified the same deck earlier in the week. That is an investor presentation, not a closed sale or BOG approval.
No overnight Board of Governors vote reported. Jeanie Buss remains governor pending the Dec. 8 LA Superior Court hearing on the Buss family-stake petition. Separately, Front Office Sports (via Hoops Rumors) notes an ongoing Florida federal suit involving Walter-related entities—allegation, not a ruling on the Lakers transaction.
Hoops Rumors (ownership notes) · WSJ (Toonkel/Maurer) · Yahoo Sports (Baer) · LakersWire ($30B pitch)
Luka / calendar: media day in five days
Sportklub / NY Post / Hoops Wire had Dončić expected back in Los Angeles around Sept. 20 after the Slovenia break; Eurohoops covered the Instagram goodbye to his daughters. No new overnight medical release from the club—treat “healthy for camp” language as reporting.
Media day Sept. 28 · camp Sept. 29 · preseason opener Oct. 5 at Sacramento · regular-season opener Oct. 21 vs Golden State. NBA.com’s 2026-27 season preview (Sept. 22) frames the first full Dončić–led season without LeBron and the Kessler/Mamukelashvili frontcourt rebuild as the open questions camp will start answering.
Side note: the rebranded Coachella Valley Lakers named Alex Cerda head coach for 2026-27 (Hoops Rumors / team release)—G League continuity after Zach Guthrie moved onto JJ Redick’s NBA staff.
Eurohoops · NY Post (Rohlin, Sept. 20) · NBA.com season preview · Hoops Rumors (Cerda)
Watch next
- Camp/preseason battle for the starting 4: Price’s LaRavia projection vs WC-coach Williams lean vs Mamukelashvili’s contract.
- Path to 15: Knecht trade vs waive; Hardy/Vanderbilt still in Price’s consolidation map.
- Confirm Luka on the ground and any official availability notes before media day.
- Media day Sept. 28 · camp Sept. 29 · preseason Oct. 5 · opener Oct. 21.
- Kushner/Iger sale: next BOG committee/floor or remote vote; Jeanie remains governor for now.
- Dec. 8 LA Superior Court hearing on the Buss family-stake petition.