Lakers Stock Report: 3 Early Standouts and 3 Growing Concerns

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers will put their seven-game win streak on the line against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center in the final game of their four-game road trip.

Ahead of this divisional matchup, we take a look at players on this new-look Lakers squad that are rising in the ranks and others that are falling while not living up to expectations during the first 13 games of the 2026-27 NBA season.

Here are the six players who are trending up and trending down.

Stock Up: Three Lakers Making Their Presence Felt

No. 3: Jake LaRavia’s Shooting Revival Is Changing the Conversation

Despite leading the NBA in fouls, which obviously isn’t great, Jake LaRavia has changed the narrative about him at the beginning of this 2026-27 campaign.

The one thing that LaRavia has changed, and that has turned a lot of heads so far this season, is his shooting form, as he fell off considerably toward the end of last season in terms of being a threat beyond the arc.

LaRavia is shooting with confidence, and it shows!

Along with the improved shooting, which is always going to get him in head coach JJ Redick’s good graces, he is still playing at a high level defensively, providing effort and energy on the floor whether it’s as a starter or off the bench.

No. 2: Walker Kessler Is Proving Worth the Investment

One of the biggest flaws of Walker Kessler’s game is that he lacks a post game. That’s not ideal for a center the team just leveraged for the future and is paying a ton of money for over the foreseeable future.

However, it doesn’t seem to matter, as Kessler makes an impact every time he steps on the floor on both ends. He’s the anchor of the defense as an elite rim protector, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, which is second in the league behind San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama (4.2).

Kessler has been as advertised so far, as he’s averaging a double-double to go along with those blocks at 14.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he’s leading the league in field-goal percentage at 67.5%.

There’s no question the Lakers made the right move bringing in Kessler, even at the high price of two first-round draft picks and a contract worth $32.5 million per year.

No. 1: Sandro Mamukelashvili Is Becoming Essential to the Lakers

During the NBA offseason, the two moves, outside of acquiring Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, that I thought were underrated and key to the team’s success this season and potentially beyond were signing Sandro Mamukelashvili and Matisse Thybulle.

Both of these veterans have played significant roles on the team, but Mamukelashvili has taken his game to another level while accepting the role of the Lakers’ sixth man.

Mamukelashvili’s comfort and confidence are off the charts right now, as he’s coming off consecutive 23-point performances while also helping crash the boards and be a player who can bring the ball up the court.

Although he’ll have to keep up this production for the rest of the season, with no shortage of competition for this regular-season award around the league, Mamukelashvili is already getting some buzz for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

Stock Down: Three Lakers Struggling to Find Their Footing

No. 3: Quentin Grimes’ Inconsistency Is Undercutting His Potential

Veteran guard Quentin Grimes was one of the few players the Lakers committed to long-term during this past summer. Initially, that seemed like the right move, as he had some success playing alongside Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks.

Unfortunately, Grimes lacks consistency and seems to have an issue with decision-making when he’s handling the basketball.

Grimes is a hell of an athlete, which he’s put on display plenty of times so far this season, but it seems like the only time he’s impactful is when he’s playing off the ball.

Also, he’s one of the worst outside shooters on the team right now at 24.2% from deep, along with Collin Sexton (27.5%), who has also had his issues this season, and Jaden Hardy (18.2%).

It’s a long season, and Grimes can turn things around, but it’s not an ideal start for a player who just signed a four-year deal.

No. 2: Kevon Looney’s Disappearing Role Exposes a Frontcourt Concern

After landing Kessler in the biggest move of the offseason for the Lakers, the team desperately needed to add to the frontcourt behind the rising star at the center position.

The Lakers chose to go with three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney, and that seemed like a decent option at the time, as he’s the only player on the team with championship experience and brings some much-needed size off the bench.

Despite looking like a decent move on paper, Looney has completely fallen out of the rotation and now only sees the floor in garbage time, with Redick and his coaching staff favoring Jarred Vanderbilt off the bench.

Looney is likely one of the moves general manager Rob Pelinka should regret making during the offseason, as the team really needs a dependable backup center moving forward, or there could be issues down the road if Kessler misses any time.

No. 1: Jaden Hardy Is Struggling to Make His Case

In the offseason trade with the Washington Wizards, where the Lakers parted ways with veteran center Deandre Ayton, the team brought back guard Jaden Hardy, who also has some experience playing alongside Doncic.

Hardy is a player who has one focus when he gets on the floor: putting up shots.

Well, that doesn’t look great when that player is shooting 15.4% from the field in limited time on the floor.

Here’s what JJ Redick said about the Lakers’ third unit struggles at the end of games: pic.twitter.com/l1zYvxraYr
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) November 13, 2026

The 24-year-old doesn’t hesitate to be in jackmode when he gets minutes, which are always garbage time, but he has shown no reason why the Lakers should keep him, as he doesn’t seem to bring anything to the table.

It’s safe to assume the minute the Lakers’ brass can move on from him and bring in an upgrade, they’ll do it in a heartbeat, and they definitely should, and the same can be said for Looney.

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