Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Los Angeles Lakers will compete in two Summer League events, starting with the California Classic from July 3 to July 6.
- A group of returning players and recent draft picks will aim to prove themselves in key matchups against top-tier rookies.
- All games will be broadcast across ESPN, ESPN 2, and Prime, with the Vegas slate running from July 9 to July 19.
The Los Angeles Lakers officially lost LeBron James on the first day of free agency but quickly pivoted toward a dramatic reset of their roster. They had already signed Austin Reaves to a four-year extension and followed that up by trading for Walker Kessler and signing Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
They now have a huge amount of money tied up in Kessler, Reaves and Luka Dončić but this roster has star power and much more depth than last year. The Lakers may have reopened their championship window but keeping it open for the next few years is going to require developing some young talent to help fill in the cracks.
Laker fans will get a first look at some of that talent at two different Summer Leagues. Los Angeles will compete at the California Classic from July 3 to July 6, along with the Heat, Spurs, Warriors, Bucks, Nets and Kings. Then, from July 9 to July 19, they'll be in Las Vegas for the league's traditional Summer League, along with the other 29 teams.
Lakers Summer League Roster
PLAYER | JERSEY # | POSITION |
|---|---|---|
Robbie Avila | 67 | C |
Cameron Carr | 43 | G |
Jon Elmore | 40 | G |
Luke Goode | 37 | F |
William Hickey | 66 | G |
Arthur Kaluma | 47 | F |
William Kyle III | 45 | C |
Chris Mañon | 30 | G |
Robert McCray V | 27 | G |
Ak Okereke | 31 | F |
Chase Ross | 29 | G |
Zhaire Smith | 38 | G |
Peter Suder | 35 | G |
Adou Thiero | 01 | F |
Anton Watson | 41 | F |
Jacari White | 50 | G |
The headliners for the Lakers Summer League roster are Cameron Carr, who they took with the No. 24 pick, and Adou Thiero, who they took at No. 36 last year. Carr is an explosive scorer who should give Laker fans planety of highlights. Here's how our NBA Draft expert Chris Kline described him:
"Carr's range and dynamism as a shooter, with an unblockable high release, makes him an extremely potent off-ball weapon. He's also a spring-loaded athlete who thrives in the open court."
Thiero missed Summer League last year because of injury and appeared in just 25 games during the regular season. But he was extremely impressive in seven games for their G League affiliate, averaging 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game on a 74.6 true shooting percentage.
Watson, Mañon, Kaluma, Goode and Hickey also spent time with the South Bay Lakers last season and will appear on the Summer League roster. Of that group, Kaluma is the most experienced and accomplished. He was a member of the Big East All-Freshman Team in 2022 and averaged 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game across a four-year college career at Creighton, Kansas State and Texas. He went undrafted in 2025 but averaged 14.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the South Bay Lakers last season, shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Full Lakers Summer League Game schedule
California Classic Summer League
- Lakers vs. Warriors | July 3 | 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU, Prime, NBA TV
- Lakers vs. Heat | July 5 | 4:30 p.m. ET | ESPN, Prime
- Lakers vs. Spurs | July 6 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPNU, Prime
Las Vegas Summer League
- Lakers vs. Thunder | July 10 | 10:00 p.m. ET | Prime
- Lakers vs. Mavericks | July 11 | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
- Lakers vs. Clippers | July 14 | 10:00 p.m. ET | Prime
- Lakers vs. Bulls | July 16 | 7:00 p.m. ET | Prime
If the Lakers play well enough in those first four games, they'll advance into the four-team championship and consolation bracket. Those additional games would be played between July 17 and July 19.
Summer League is short, just seven guaranteed games, but there are some real doozies waiting for the Lakers. The opener against the Warriors will give them an up-close look at Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 pick in last year's draft and a versatile two-way forward who is expected to be a key contributor for Golden State during the regular season.
The Heat traded their first-round picks in the Giannis trade but took Louisville guard Ryan Conwell in the second-round and his electric scoring ability should be the centerpiece of this roster. It's unlikely that last year's pick, Dylan Harper, is back for Summer League but the Spurs nabbed a pair of powerful big men in the first round this year — Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. — and both could be a big challenge for the Lakers.
In their four Vegas games, the Lakers will get a look at Aday Mara (pick No. 12) and Bennett Stirtz (No. 16) from the Thunder, as well as Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic, their first-rounders from 2025. The Mavs roster will boast No. 9 pick Morez Johnson Jr., No. 25 pick Sergio de Larrea and No. 40 pick Tobi Lawal. They'll finish with a pair of matchups against top-10 picks — Keaton Wagler (No. 5) of the Clippers and Caleb Wilson (No. 4) of the Bulls.
Where to watch the Lakers in Summer League
The games of the California Classic are spread across multiple networks — ESPN, Prime and NBA TV — depending on the game. Las Vegas Summer League games will be shown on ESPN, ESPN 2 and Prime. Games that are on ESPN can also be streamed through the ESPN app.
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