Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said Thursday he is confident in three spots in his starting lineup and joked that the other two “will not be two white guys,” addressing summer chatter about the racial makeup of the roster after LeBron James left.
Speaking at a joint news conference with general manager Rob Pelinka at the team’s training facility, Redick was asked about the projected starting five heading into training camp.
“I’m pretty confident in three of the spots,” Redick said. “The other two spots will not be two white guys. Those are the two things that’s not changing.”
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The remark drew laughs in the room. Pelinka appeared caught off guard and laughed along. The clip circulated quickly on social media, including Instagram.
The three spots Redick referenced are widely understood to be Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and center Walker Kessler, acquired in an offseason trade after the Lakers moved on from Deandre Ayton. Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are white. Redick is also white.
The Lakers enter the 2026-27 season with several white players on the roster, including Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili. That composition fueled months of online jokes after James, Ayton, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura departed. Former Lakers forward Matt Barnes nicknamed the group the “Snowtime Lakers,” a play on the franchise’s Showtime era. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and others also commented on the look of the core.
Redick’s line effectively ruled out starting two additional white players alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. That leaves room for one of LaRavia, Knecht or Mamukelashvili — but not two of them together.
The remaining starting spots are expected to be filled from a group that includes Quentin Grimes, who signed a four-year, $60 million deal; Ziaire Williams; Matisse Thybulle; and others competing on the wing. Redick said six or seven players are in the mix for minutes at those positions and that camp will be competitive.
“I think we have really great wing depth, and I’m really excited for camp to start next week,” Redick said. “There are a lot of minutes, and there are starting spots that are up for grabs. We’re going to have a highly competitive camp.”
He also said this is the first time in his three seasons that he feels the roster pieces fit together around Doncic and Reaves.
The Lakers open training camp next week. Opening night is Oct. 21. Redick has not named a full starting five.
