This NBA Summer League standout could jump right into the Lakers rotation

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a wonderful offseason. Not only did they let LeBron James walk (something I thought was in their best interest), they also used the cap space that his departure created to draft Cameron Carr, and add the likes of Quentin Grimes, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. All players that compliment Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.

If I was to nitpick their roster at this point, I think they still need a bigger "three-and-D" wing. Grimes is technically supposed to be that guy, but he's better suited defending guards than forwards.

Thus far, the 2026 NBA Vegas Summer League has seen a handful of standouts. A lot of those guys are players who were taken in the past draft (like Bruce Thornton and Maleek Thomas). However, the Lakers have seen a forgotten face rise to stardom, and he may be just the missing link they need this season.

The rise of Arthur Kaluma in Lakers Summer League

Thornton and Thomas have been pleasant surprises for their teams since they "fell" to the second round. But if you think a second round pick isn't supposed to amount to much, what about an undrafted one?

Enter, Arthur Kaluma. After four years of college basketball (with three different teams), Kaluma entered the 2025 NBA Draft, only to not hear his name called for 60 straight picks. From there, he was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers, but then waived by them before the start of the season -- forcing him to spend the entire campaign in the G-League (with the Coachella Valley Lakers, formerly known as the South Bay Lakers).

However, instead of sulking at his misfortune, Kaluma never stopped believing in himself. And now, Kaluma has returned to the public eye, and is setting the basketball world on fire.

In five games, Kaluma is averaging 18.6 PPG (the exact same amount as Thornton), while 60.9% from the floor and 50% from the 3-point line. However, despite putting up some gaudy scoring numbers, Kaluma still views himself as an ancillary player in the grand scheme of things. After his 34-point masterpiece against the Mavericks, Kaluma had to say:

"My game is 3-and-D," Kaluma said. "I lock up on defense, I hit open shots, I got hot today, and [I'm] not gonna let it try to get to my head."

What Arthur Kaluma would bring to the Lakers rotation

And at 6-7 with a nearly 7'1 wingspan, Kaluma has that bigger wing/forward frame we were mentioning that the Lakers need. Kaluma, who turned 24 in March, is also a lot older/more mature than your average rising sophomore, which will make it a lot easier to count on him to plug-and-play at the back end of the rotation.

To me, Kaluma moves more like a Naz Reid type (he's more funky than fluid), which should not be taken as a demerit on him (I love me some Reid). However, I am skepitcal that Kaluma will be able to scale up into an NBA role and be counted on for consistent minutes on a team with lofty aspirations.

Still, you can't help but root for a guy that has had to overcome all that Kaluma has had to endure, and if he keeps this production up, the Lakers will have no choice but to give him a permanent spot.

Kaluma and the Lakers were able to advance to the Summer League semifinals, but they fell to the Golden State Warriors 92-88.

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