LOS ANGELES – Coming into training camp, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was sure of who three of his five starters were going to be. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler will be in the starting lineup, with the other two spots up for grabs. New Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili would appear to be one of the players vying for one of the spots, and one thing he has going for him is his versatility.

Listed at 6 feet 9 inched and 240 pounds, the sixth-year big man has generally played power forward throughout his career, but he can slide up and play small-ball center if the matchup calls for it. The Lakers plan to take advantage of Sandro Mamukelashvili’s versatile skill set, and he’s looking forward to doing whatever the game calls for.

“I love passing. I think I got a good feel for it. I don’t mind it and I just love finding open guys,” Mamukelashvili said following Lakers’ practice on Sept. 30. “I wanna be that guy who is gonna play in the short roll and just be a connector or be a spacer or something. Whatever I got to do I will. And if I can find guys, even better.”

The former Seton Hall star was among the Lakers’ early targets in the offseason, and both sides were able to come to an agreement quickly on a free agent deal in the first couple of days of the negotiation period. For Lakers head coach JJ Redick, he does envision using Mamukelashvili at either power forward or center, and he recalled an early conversation with the Georgian big man about where he fit on the team’s roster.

“He asked me, he said, ‘how do you see my role on this team?’ And I said, ‘you’re a basketball player.’ He can fit in a number of places,” Redick said following Lakers’ practice on Sept. 29. “I’m sure he’ll see minutes versus certain teams at the five. He’ll play some on the wing, but I think one of the things that I really like about him in watching the small group work and watching these guys play pick up … is he’s just an offensive connector.

“Like, the possession is dead, he gets the ball, he can dribble, he can go play follow action, he’s just gonna make the right read. He can get to the basket. So I think just having him out there offensively helps the entire group.”

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Mamukelashvili is coming off the best statistical season of his career having played last year with the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists with splits of 52.3 percent shooting from the field, 38.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 74.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He even received votes for Sixth Man of the Year.

He can shoot the ball, he can dribble and he can pass; the three tenets Lakers brass stressed as necessary when identifying free agent targets this offseason. Growing up as a kid in Georgia, former Chicago Bulls versatile forward Toni Kukoc was the player he idolized and tried to emulate his game after. During his early days of learning the game, he used to play multiple positions and now he’s harnessed those skills enough that it’s stuck with him for his entire career.

And as far as the last couple of starting spots up for grabs, Mamukelashvili isn’t concerned with that at all. All he cares about is impacting winning in whatever role the Redick and the Lakers need from him.

“I don’t really get into that too much. I’m a basketball player no matter what. I want to be out there, I want to play with the first unit, second unit,” Mamukelashvili said. “As long as you go out there and use your minutes wisely, play hard, play with intention, play physical, you’re giving what you got to give to the team. I just want to be a reliable guy. I’m gonna go out there, play hard, whatever it is.”