In between all the noise and chatter with the looming free agency period, teams are gearing up for the upcoming Summer League where rookies and other young players will be looking to make an impression in hopes of signing an NBA deal. The Los Angeles Lakers will have a good mix of returners and new players on their roster for the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League.
Max Christie and Cole Swider will be on the roster, as well as newly drafted rookies Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis. Los Angeles will also have their new two-way players Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge available, in addition to a few other undrafted players.
Interestingly enough, according to Dan Woike of L.A. Times, Scotty Pippen Jr. will also be joining the Lakers despite not being on a two-way deal:
Scotty Pippen Jr is at Lakers summer league practice and will play for the team this summer. He’s not one of the Lakers’ three two-way players.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 29, 2023
The new CBA that was recently signed allows for teams to carry up to three two-way contracts, one more than the previous two that were allotted. Swider, Castleton and Hodge are the three L.A. players on two-way deals, leaving Pippen as a free agent.
With a glut of guards in the pipeline, Pippen was the obvious odd man out despite having a solid season with their G League affiliate South Bay Lakers. The undrafted guard out of Vanderbilt put on strong performances from South Bay, which earned him a spot on the Rising Stars Challenge Roster, but now will need to prove he’s worth a look from either the Lakers or another team.
The projected starting lineup for Los Angeles in the California Classic and Summer League is Hood-Schifino, Christie, Lewis, Swider and Castleton, though Pippen will likely have his fair share of minutes because of his experience. While he probably won’t land with the Lakers after the summer games conclude, he’s still an intriguing upside play for teams who value his scoring ability.
Victor Wembanyama won’t play against Lakers in California Classic
The 2023 NBA Draft was highly anticipated because of the arrival of Victor Wembanyama who many consider to be the best prospect since LeBron James. Wembanyama has all the tools to be the next great NBA superstar, and fans will be lining up to see him when he makes his debut in Summer League.
However, Lakers fans will have to wait to see the big man in person as he is going to sit out the California Classic.
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