Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Lakers' Summer League roster is drawing attention with unexpected standouts emerging from limited opportunities.
- Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero and Zhaire Smith are creating buzz with their athleticism and versatility in early preseason action.
- With depth needs still unresolved at guard and forward, these performers could force their way into the regular season rotation.
The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason moved quickly — 12 hours after learning that LeBron James wouldn't be returning, they'd landed Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili. They subsequently traded Deandre Ayton for cap space and are reportedly still looking for another backup big and one more bigger wing.
But as the front office works to put the finishing touches on this supporting cast for Luka Dončić, fans are checking out the Lakers Summer League team — including two players already on the NBA roster who could be difference-makers this season and one more veteran who could be playing his way onto the team.
Zhaire Smith, Guard
Smith was seen as a steal when he landed with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA Draft, taken with the No. 16 pick by Phoenix and then immediately moved as part of the Mikal Bridges trade. He was an undersize two-guard but boasted explosive athleticism and an enormous wingspan, having averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 56/45/72 shooting splits in his one season at Texas Tech.
He's now 27 and and has appeared in just 13 regular season games because of some terrible luck. Smith broke his foot and needed surgery just before the beginning of his rookie season and then nearly died from an allergic reaction to sesame. He was hospitalized for weeks, needed a feeding tube and reportedly lost more than 60 pounds. Those two things sapped his strength and athleticism and it's taken the past few years for him to work his way back into shape.
But, even in limited minutes, Smith has looked like the most polished and versatile player on the Lakers Summer League roster, putting up 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 34 minutes across two games. And it's not like these performances are coming of nowhere. In 33 games for Oklahoma City's G League affiliate last year, Smith averaged 20.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game 58/45/69 shooting splits.
The Lakers have a glut of guards already on the roster — Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves as incumbent starters, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton as the new bench combination, maybe Bronny James still lurking. But Smith has pedigree and an extremely reasonable explanation for why his development has been slow. Right now he looks like a versatile option who can play on or off the ball and defend bigger players, and could be signed as a break-in-case of emergency option who maybe continues to pop in training camp.
Cameron Carr, Guard
Carr — the Lakers' No. 24 pick in this year's draft — will have to fight through the same gauntlet of talented guards as Smith to earn any minutes as a rookie, but he's already popping off in two Summer League Games. He dropped 19 points against the Warriors in his first appearance, and followed that up with 26 points and 8 rebounds against the Heat.
FanSided's Mat Issa put the Lakers into his NBA Draft winners column because of Carr and it's not hard to see what he can offer LA:
"He's got a great wingspan (measuring in at roughly 7'1), pogo sticks for feet, solid defensive indicators, and a stroke that led to 37.4% shooting from downtown in his junior season (on 6.1 attempts per game). But Carr has some off-the-dribble juice that also allows him to elevate over the normal constraints of this player type."
The Lakers added a ton of skill and versatility with their roster moves so far this offseason but Carr's combination of shooting and athleticism make him an outlier. Walker Kessler is the kind of rim protector who can help cover up a rookie's defensive mistakes on the perimeter. And Dončić and Reaves will create the kind of open jumpers, cutting lanes and transition opportunities that Carr should feast on. The Lakers do have championship aspirations and may favor experience, giving Carr plenty of opportunities to develop in the G League this year. But there's a chance he actually finds his way into the rotation with some big scoring numbers off the bench.
Adou Thiero, Forward
Thiero is less polished than either Carr or Thomas but has a path to minutes for the Lakers this season thanks to his position and physical tools. He's a 6-foor-7, 220 pound swing forward who does most of his damage at this point by leveraging his combination of speed and strength. He missed most of last season with knee issues but did average 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in seven games with South Bay Lakers in the G League.
Thiero has been getting up a lot of shots through two Summer League Games, with mixed results — 22 points on 6-of-19 from the field and 6-of-12 from the free throw line. But you can already see the outlines of how he can help Los Angeles. He's earned 12 free throw attempts through two games, and racked up 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. His energy and aggressiveness are palpable and will stand out in the current forward rotation, which features Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht.
The Lakers are reportedly still pursuing Jonathan Kuminga — an older and more polished version of Thiero. They may also end up playing a lot of smaller lineups, leaving players like Reaves, Dončić or Grimes to defend opposing 3s and 4s. But if they don't sign Kuminga, there could be room for Thiero to get run in certain matchups as a physical defender who gets thrown out there against an opponent's bigger wings.
More Los Angeles Lakers news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google