After a standout Summer League campaign, the Lakers are locking up Arthur Kaluma.
On Monday evening, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Lakers signed Kaluma to a two-way contract. A corresponding move will have to be made as the team has all three two-way spots accounted for.
Across seven games this summer, Kaluma averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 55.1% from the field and 38.9% from three. His averages were boosted by a 34-point outing against the Mavericks in Las Vegas.
While this summer was his breakout, Kaluma is not new to the Lakers. He played with the Lakers in Summer League last year, averaged just 4.5 points in four games. He then spent the season with the South Bay Lakers, playing in 40 games and averaging 13.8 points in 24.4 minutes. He shot 54.9% from the field and 37.6% from three during his time in the G League.
The Lakers will have to waive a player to make this signing official. Teams have three two-way spots and, heading into Summer League, the Lakers had Chris Mañon, AK Okereke and Peter Suder. Of the three, Suder is the most likely as he was the only one not to play at all in the team’s semifinal loss to the Warriors.
Considering the lack of depth the Lakers have as things stand at the forward position, there could be actual minutes available for Kaluma this year if he can parlay his Summer League success into training camp success.
The Summer League team could see many players turn their strong showings into potential roles. Both Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero had strong summers and could find their way into the rotation. Along with Kaluma, Mañon had a strong showing as a two-way player and, given his skill sets as well, he, too, could play his way into minutes this season.
For Kaluma, it’s quite the jump from last summer when he wasn’t getting much action or even from his G League campaign.
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