SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 5: Jake LaRavia #12 and Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the Sacramento Kings during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 5, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Jacob Rude Mon, October 19, 2026 at 12:19 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An exciting new era of Lakers basketball kicked off this preseason with lots of excitement and intrigue.
While we only briefly got a look at the new Big 3 that will guide the team into the future, there were plenty of other players fans got a long look at, for better and for worse.
Let's dive into some of the preseason winners and losers for the purple and gold.
Lakers fans didn't have to wait long to find their new fan favorite. As a jack-of-all-trades type of player, Mamu found many ways to make an impression .
Some nights, it was knocking down a barrage of threes. Other nights, it was an unexpected reverse dunk. But most often, it was each of those things and more throughout the game.
Pretty quickly, Mamu established himself as someone who is going to be able to come in and change games with his energy and his versatility, all while getting the fans into the game as well.
A byproduct of the Lakers bringing in multiple new wings this offseason is that Vando became a lot less valuable in that sense. And with head coach JJ Redick already showing his hand in being willing to sit Vando even when there was more of a need for him, it probably shouldn't have been a shock to see how little he was used in the preseason.
Even with the team shuffling through players and lineups because of injuries and rest, it was not an uncommon occurrence for Vando to have to wait until the fourth quarter to get his first minutes.
He can still bring value to the team as a chemistry and locker room guy as everyone on the team seems to like him. But he's very far down the pecking order when it comes to actually getting on the court.
From effectively the first preseason practice on , Williams was mentioned as a standout player. Despite missing time with an injury, Williams seems to be an odds-on favorite for the starting lineup to open the season.
Considering he was waived by the Nets and came to LA on a minimum deal, it's already a strong start to the season. The goal now is to make that a springboard to a better campaign and not the high point.
Coming into training camp, there was supposed to be a battle for the final roster spot and most circled Hardy and Knecht as the guys likely duking it out.
Based on preseason playing time, Knecht seems likely to lose that battle. But Hardy did not paint himself in any sort of glory. The Lakers probably won't cut both of them, but it wouldn't be shocking if they did. President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka likes to have an open roster spot going into the season and Hardy certainly didn't do enough to earn a roster spot.
LaRavia's campaign was a roller coaster last year. After a fast start, he hit a funk and struggled for most of the rest of the way. By the postseason, he seemed scared to even look at the basket.
But a revamped jumper and a renewed mindset have him in a much better space this preseason. His shot looks unorthodox, but he's shooting it with confidence and it's going on. It doesn't matter how pretty it looks, just whether he hits it regularly.
If he does, then he's another wing the Lakers can turn to this season.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social .
Source: Sports
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