If you are passionate about the Summer League basketball, you are in the right place. We are ready to analyze every game played by the Lakers in San Francisco during the California Classic and every confrontation at the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas.
Before discussing each player’s potential and role on the team, here is the list of games the Lakers will play in July.
TV schedule and information
California Classic:
Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: Saturday, July 6 at 1:30 p.m. PT
Or: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
How to watch: ESPN
Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers
When: Sunday, July 7 at 3:30 p.m. PT
Or: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
How to watch: NBA TV
Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: Wednesday, July 10 at 4:00 PM PT
Or: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
How to watch: ESPN 2
NBA 2K25 Summer League:
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: Friday, July 12 at 4:30 p.m. PT
Or: Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
How to watch: ESPN
Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: Monday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. PT
Or: Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
How to watch: NBA TV
Atlanta Hawks vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: Wednesday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m. PT
Or: Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
How to watch: ESPN
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: Thursday, July 18 at 6:00 p.m. PT
Or: Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
How to watch: ESPN
For the NBA 2K25 Summer League, the Lakers have the potential to play more games if they advance to the four-team tournament, but that will depend on their standings after their first four games in Las Vegas.
List
The Lakers will take 14 players to Sacramento and Las Vegas, a combination of rookies, G-League players, foreign talent and versatile players. Here’s the full roster.
Bronny James
LeBron James’ prodigal son has arrived and it’s his turn to be king.
The NBA world will be watching how Bronny performs against this level of talent. At USC, he averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Still, Bronny showed the potential to be an elite defensive player and great teammate during his college playing year and his time at Sierra Canyon.
His first fast break dunk will rock the West Coast and no matter how well or poorly he plays, Bronny will be the talk of Summer League and is already a must-see on television.
Dalton Knecht
The Lakers’ first-round pick might be the best talent the franchise has drafted since Max Christie. They took the best player available at 17th overall, and Knecht checks a lot of boxes in a player you want on your roster in today’s game.
At 6’5”, with a 6’9” wingspan and weighing 213 pounds, he has the size and strength you want on the perimeter.
Knecht is an elite shooter who shot 39.7 percent from three-point range at Tennessee. He averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Don’t be surprised if he seems more than ready for this level of play right away.
Maxwell Lewis
The Lakers’ young forward had a mediocre rookie season, but Lewis should be ready to excel in Summer League.
Now, against players who are less talented than those he is used to, we want to see him take another step. He should easily score, dominate defensively and even stop a few shots.
Let’s see if Lewis is ready to make the jump to sophomore year.
Colin Castleton
The Lakers made Castleton an offer, which allowed him to keep his contract with the team. He had the same contract with the Lakers last year and played 16 games with the Lakers, averaging 1.6 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.2 assists.
It was under the South Bay Lakers that Castleton shone, scoring 14.1 points and grabbing 9.8 rebounds in twelve games.
His South Bay coach, Dane Johnson, will also be his Summer League coach, so like Lewis, Castleton should be comfortable and look good playing against these young players.
Armel Traore
Traore signed a two-way contract with the Lakers and is coming off a successful season with Blois in France.
Overseas, he averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. His potential is evident and he has played professional basketball before, so he should have a leg up as long as he can adjust to the game in the United States.
Blake Hinson
The Lakers signed Hinson to a 2-year, two-way contract after signing him as an undrafted player. Hinson attended Pittsburgh in college and was known as a sharpshooter.
He improved year after year and finished his final season converting 42.1 percent of his 3-point shots and averaging 18.5 points per game.
Mohamed Diarra
Diarra went undrafted and the Lakers picked him up and signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract. He worked his way up in college playing JUCO ball, then went to Missouri and NC State after that.
As a Wolfpack player, he averaged 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds and started 22 of his 40 games.
Sean East II
Diarra and East should be familiar with each other because their careers overlapped at Missouri. Diarra played just one season, while East stayed four years. During that span, the Tigers guard averaged 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Tommy Kuhse
Harrison Faigen, I mean Kuhuse, has spent the last two seasons playing overseas. At 26, he’s a little older and this is probably his last chance to play NBA basketball.
Kyle Mangas
Mangas spent last year with the Mad Ants, the Indiana Pacers’ G-League affiliate, averaging 16.9 points in 34 games. He can score, sure, but like Kuhse, he’s an older player looking for one last chance in the NBA.
Grayson Murphy
Since 2023, Murphy has played for the Dresden Titans, a German professional team. At 6’3″, he is a bit small for a point guard, but it will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets in Summer League and how well he can facilitate the play and lead the offense.
Quincy Olivari
Xavier Muskateer joined the Lakers on an Exhibit 10 deal and will look to bring his offensive production to San Francisco and Las Vegas. He averaged 19.1 points in his final season and shot an impressive 40 percent from three-point range.
Vincent Valério-Bodon
Size is not something you can teach, and at 6’2″, Bodon is a winger worth considering. If he shows promise, I could see him on the South Bay Lakers this year or even earning a two-way contract with the Lakers or elsewhere.
Nicolas Joirdon
He’s already a South Bay Laker player, so Nicholas should be comfortable playing for LA and coach Johnson. He was a late addition to the roster, giving the team some added depth at forward.
Final thoughts
There’s a lot to be excited about in the latest edition of the Lakers Summer League. You’ll find top talent like Bronny and Knecht, returning players from last year like Lewis and Castleton, and some interesting outsiders like Bodon.
The Lakers last won the Las Vegas Summer League title in 2017 and I wouldn’t be shocked if this team had a long run this year.
But in the end, it’s all about development. So if everyone leaves healthy and the young players show signs of promise, this July will be a successful one.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.