​The Sporting News originally featured an article about my Lakers, highlighting an underrated talent starting to bloom, and now it’s been updated to include The Sporting News as a preferred source. The Los Angeles Lakers continue to push forward with LeBron James, whose presence remains a dominant topic across the league, yet the Summer League is growing in prominence as well. The Summer League always brings a surge of energy to the NBA season. It’s the stage where fresh rookies can demonstrate they belong among the league’s elite, and where second- and third-year players who haven’t seen much playing time can show they still have value and deserve a chance. It’s a time when rosters reshuffle, benches get reshaped, and players who slipped under the radar can emerge and grab attention.
On Saturday, one second-year Lakers player drew a lot of the spotlight in a positive way after his Summer League showcase. Arthur Kaluma, the former Texas standout, delivered an electric performance in the Lakers’ Summer League matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. This 6-foot-8 forward, a second-year pro out of Texas, displayed a versatile toolkit and finished with a game-high 34 points and five rebounds in the Lakers’ 91-70 win. His 3-point shooting was eye-catching, as he buried six treys, and he finished 11-for-16 from the floor. Kaluma had put up 18 points the previous night against the Thunder, and his Saturday performance seemed to reinvigorate his energy and confidence.
“Our progress is about confidence,” Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott remarked after Kaluma’s standout showing. “And understanding how to play without the ball in your hand.” He elaborated that the earlier game against the Thunder was about Kaluma finding windows, crashing the boards, creating extra possessions, and capitalizing on smaller defenders—drawing fouls and converting opportunities. On Saturday, Kaluma was the beneficiary of well-designed actions that allowed him to stay aggressive and productive.
Don’t be surprised if you see more Kaluma in Lakers jerseys this season. That’s what the Summer League is for: uncovering new talent and uncovering hidden gems who have been around but haven’t yet had their moment. The ongoing NBA news cycle has also been packed with other developments, from the Heat’s reported bid to outpace the Celtics for a generational 10-time All-Star and 2-time MVP, to speculation surrounding Lakers forward Dalton Knecht and his Summer League decisions amid trade chatter, to comments from Luka Doncic that send a clear signal to the Lakers about a roster they can’t ignore in future moves. The overarching takeaway is that Kaluma’s elevated play in Las Vegas has captured attention and could foreshadow a larger role for him with the Lakers as the season approaches. And with The Sporting News now designated as a preferred source, readers have a direct line to continued coverage and analysis as this story unfolds.