Why Lakers Signed Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili Revealed in New Rumors amid Free Agency

The Los Angeles Lakers' roles for guard Quentin Grimes and center Sandro Mamukelashvili after joining the team in free agency have reportedly been revealed.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Grimes will be used as a point-of-attack defender with Lakers head coach JJ Redick "known" to be a fan of him.

Per Woike, Los Angeles thinks that Mamukelashvili "will slot nicely" alongside recent sign-and-trade acquisition Walker Kessler in the team's frontcourt.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Lakers signed Mamukelashvili to a four-year contract worth $52 million before handing Grimes a four-year deal worth $60 million in free agency on Wednesday.

Mamukelashvili is 27 years old and Grimes is 26 years old, with Woike noting that the Lakers acquiring players who fit the timeline of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves was a "large part" of their offseason plan.

Grimes appeared in 75 games with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, averaging 13.4 points and 3.6 rebounds to go along with 3.3 assists per game. He shot 45.0 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from three-point territory.

It isn't hard to imagine Grimes' long-range accuracy improving in Los Angeles, as he's connected on 36.6 percent of his triples throughout his career.

As for Mamukelashvili, he suited up in 80 contests for the Toronto Raptors during his 2025-26 campaign. He recorded 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game, connecting on 52.3 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Mamukelashvili also showcased his ability to space the floor, shooting 38.9 percent from behind the arc while attempting 3.7 three-pointers on a nightly basis.

While the Lakers are moving forward without LeBron James after he informed them that he'll play elsewhere next year, Grimes and Mamukelashvili will look to help make up for his absence during the 2026-27 season.