They say hope is forever, but for the Lakers it’s the summer that couldn’t come soon enough after a disastrous 2021-22 country. And while general manager Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office are working hard to build the Lakers roster through NBA free agency, rookies and two-year-olds are gearing up for the Summer League, which begins for the Lake Show not in Las Vegas, but in San Francisco with the California Classic.
Their first game is Saturday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. PDT against the Miami Heat on ESPN2. With 13 players on the roster and less than 24 hours to go for Game 1, Silver Screen & Roll tells you who these players are, how they ended up on the Lakers Summer League roster, what their potential is and when they will play.
TV times and info
Here is the schedule of all the games the Lakers will play in the California Classic.
- Lakers vs. Heat – Saturday, July 2 at 2 p.m. PDT on ESPN2
- Lakers vs. Warriors — Sunday, July 3 at 4:30 p.m. PDT on NBA TV
- Kings vs. Lakers – Tuesday, July 5 at 2:30 p.m. PDT on NBA TV
For Las Vegas Summer League, here’s the schedule so far. More games can be added if the Lakers advance deeper in the tournament.
- Lakers vs. Suns – Friday, July 8 at 7 p.m. PDT on ESPN2
- Lakers vs. Hornets— Sunday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m. PDT on NBA TV
- Clippers vs. Lakers – Tuesday, July 12 at 8 p.m. PDT on NBA TV
- Pelicans vs. Lakers – Friday, July 15 at 8 p.m. PDT on ESPN 2
Listing
Here are everyone who will play for the team in The Bay and Las Vegas:
Now let’s break down what each player brings to the table.
Parisian bass
Bass spent the majority of 2021-22 with the South Bay Lakers. He had two 10-day contracts with the Phoenix Suns via the financial hardship exemption in late December and early January, then returned to South Bay in mid-January. He averaged 17.3 points, 7 rebounds and 1.6 assists and was named to the NBA G League All-Showcase Team. As a 6’8 striker with three-and-D ability, he emerges as a man among the G League boys, and it will be interesting to see if he exerts his dominance in the Summer League.
Vitto Brown
A fellow basketball professional, Vitto Brown has been playing in the G League and overseas since 2017, posting respectable numbers but nothing that meets the eye. He spent the 2021-22 season playing with Real Bettis in Liga ACB. He’s a 6’8 winger, which sounds like what the Lakers need, but at 26 you have to wonder: is he a diamond in the rough or just another journeyman filling out this list?
Max Christi
The Lakers drafted Max Christie with the No. 35 pick in this year’s NBA draft. They had to trade to get the pick, which shows us how much the Lakers love him. In fact, according to Rob Pelinka, the selection was unanimous.
Rob Pelinka says Max Christie was a consensus pick for Lakers scouts and front office. Pelinka said it’s rare that all parties agree on who should be the pick.
—Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) June 24, 2022
On paper, the Michigan State guard is an exciting prospect. He’s a 31-percent-of-three shooter, and while he’s a more undersized guard, he has the physical attributes to attack the basket and pressure the rim. Plus, given the Lakers’ incredible scouting department, it’s fair to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that Christie is an NBA player. Either way, he’s one of the most exciting players in this Summer League roster, and all eyes will be on him during these games.
RJ Cole
The UConn point guard is a good shooter. When he gets hot from age three, he can be a flamethrower like Malik Monk. He’s a solid point guard who can’t be pushed around. He played four years of college ball at Howard and UConn, so he’ll probably be a little more polished than the other freshman guys. Think of him as more of a Josh Hart than a Talen Horton-Tucker.
Jay Huff
Jay Huff started the 2021-22 campaign on a two-way contract with the Lakers. He was later waived and acquired by the South Bay Lakers and spent the rest of the season in the G League. Its potential is clear; he’s a 7’1 center who can dunk at will. Can he be a Deandre Ayton type player? Someone who can just convert near the basket at a high percentage? Or is he just too big and strong for the G League but unable to make it to the NBA level? A solid performance with the Lakers in the Summer League could convince the team to give him another look.
mason jones
Mason Jones put up monster stats with the South Bay Lakers last season. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists, dominating the league. Only Mac McClung has posted numbers that rival Jones in South Bay. Similar to McClung, Jones gained some NBA experience with the Lakers. He signed a two-way deal Dec. 21 and averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1 assist in the four games he played. Jones is an NBA-level talent and is one of the main players on this team outside of rookies to watch this summer.
Mac McClung
Speaking of McClung, he also plays with the Lakers in the Summer League. He was fantastic in the Summer League last year. He picked up that momentum at South Bay, where he became the G League Rookie of the Year, signed two 10-day contracts with the Chicago Bulls and eventually signed a two-way contract with the Lakers to complete the season. season in the main team. He is no longer just a prospect; a spot on the roster is a realistic possibility for McMcClung and he can jump out of the gym. Expect him to rock Vegas after one of his windmill dunks.
Javonte McCoy
The Boston University graduate joins the Lakers for the Summer League after spending five years at BU. He is a certified shooter who averaged 43% on three in his senior season in college. McCoy has Kyrie-like ball-handling ability, is great coming off screens, and will come out from deep like he’s Steph Curry. He wore number 30 in college, and I guess that’s no coincidence. Should be a fun player to watch.
Shareef O’Neal
The son of Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal joins the Lakers Summer League team. He participated in pre-draft practice with the Lakers and was not drafted, but apparently left an impression on the Lakers organization. He’s not just the son of an NBA superstar, he’s a hot prospect, and at 6’10, he’s got an NBA body. People will undeniably want to compare him to his father, but Shareef is his own man and will have the opportunity to show his abilities with the Lakers.
Nate Pierre Louis
With the South Bay Lakers, Nate Pierre-Louis was a containment defender, a good ball handler and an excellent passer. His stats aren’t obvious, but watching him play he excelled in the South Bay system. Pierre-Louis plays with a natural understanding of the game that you just can’t teach. Reaching, getting steals instead of fouls, jumping into passing lanes and making the right passes in the fastbreak. Expect a few dunks from him as well.
Scotty Pippen Jr.
Scottie Pippen’s son joins the Lakers on a two-way deal. Like Shareef, Scotty Pippen Jr. will begin his own NBA journey and have extra eyes on him due to name recognition. In his final season at Vanderbilt, Scotty averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Considering he’ll be one of the Lakers’ two-way players, he’s someone the entire Lakers nation should watch closely in these games.
cole swider
The Lakers used their second two-way contract on Cole Swider. At Syracuse, he averaged 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. What stands out is his three-point shot; he shot 41% from three, and given that he’s a 6’9″ wing, he’s precisely what all NBA teams are looking for. Well, the Lakers found him and liked that enough. that they saw to offer him the two-way deal before seeing him play any kind of professional games. Let’s see what he looks like against NBA-caliber competition.
Fabian White Jr.
Rare to see someone play college for five years, but that’s exactly what Fabian White Jr. did. His stats aren’t that impressive; however, it has one advantage. He has improved every year, has good footwork in the post and defends the rim well.
Final Thoughts
The Lakers have had a lot of success with undrafted players and late-round draft picks over the past five years. Players like Talen Horton-Tucker, Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Thomas Bryant and Alex Caruso all made their Summer League debuts for the Lakers. It was the first time we saw them play against the pros, and not only did they play well, but they went above and beyond our wildest expectations. Hopefully we get another one of those in the Player of the Year squad.
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