Lakers Trending Up, Trending Down: Summer League Risers and Fallers

A strong case can be made that the Los Angeles Lakers have the best all-around squad in the NBA Summer League, with rookie standout Cameron Carr and company dominating the competition over the four games they’ve played leading up to the semifinals set to be played on Saturday.

After convincingly losing their first game to the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic, the Lakers haven’t lost a game since. Los Angeles has been red-hot, especially after landing in Las Vegas, where they have the best point differential in the tournament at +17.5, far better than the next-best team (Atlanta Hawks) at +11.5.

With the Lakers cruising at this point ahead of a big game against the Warriors in the semifinals, here’s a look at the players who are trending up and trending down on this Summer League squad.

Lakers Summer League Players: Trending Up

Arthur Kaluma

Easily the biggest surprise on this Lakers Summer League squad is Arthur Kaluma, who spent his time with the South Bay Lakers in the G League last season.

Kaluma has far exceeded expectations in the first four games of this tournament, averaging a team-high 20.3 points per game.

He’s also shooting an impressive 63.9 percent from the field, which is second-best on the team among players who have played all four games. William Kyle III (80 FG%) leads the way, but Kaluma is putting up 9.0 shot attempts per contest compared to his 1.3. Three-pointing isn’t too shabby either, leading the way (among players who have played four games) at 54.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Kaluma’s breakout game was a 34-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks.

Due to Kaluma’s solid performance during the Summer League thus far, he’s making a case that he should be one of the players on a two-way contract, putting pressure on AK Okereke and Peter Suder.

Summer League Averages: 20.3 pts (63.9 FG%, 54.5 3FG%), 3.5 rebs, 2.0 asts

Chris Manon

As one of the most experienced players on the Summer League squad, Chris Manon has shown why the Lakers decided to sign him to a second consecutive two-way deal this year.

Manon’s strength is on the defensive end of the floor, as he can be an absolute pest, which has become contagious on this squad and might carry over to him getting some rotation minutes next season after spending most of his time in the G League with the South Bay Lakers last year.

The defensive-minded guard seems to get better and better with more time on the floor, as he’s also one of the most confident players on the squad, along with Cameron Carr.

Manon has also shown he can be a force on the boards. His fouling (3.8 per game) remains something to work on, but a peasky is always going to have higher numbers in that department.

Summer League Averages: 11.8 pts (45.7 FG%, 33.3 3FG%), 7.3 rebs, 2.3 asts and 1.3 stls

Cameron Carr

Although Kaluma has been stealing the show with his performances in Las Vegas, Cameron Carr has been the Lakers' star attraction. The versatile rookie has been brimming with confidence, showing that he’s ready to play on the NBA level and might even be able to crack JJ Redick’s rotation in his first season as a professional.

Despite being a little undersized at 6’5”, he has the length (7’1”) and athleticism to be a distributive defender, giving the Lakers the kind of young wing player who can be a 3-and-D threat.

Three-point shooting is a little bit of a concern (22.2%), but it is definitely something he can work on moving forward.

Carr seems to have a high upside and the potential to be a productive player for the Lakers for many years to come, especially when sharing the floor with superstar Luka Doncic.

Summer League Averages: 18.3 pts (46.5 FG%, 22.2 3FG%), 2.0 rebs, 1.0 asts and 1.0 blks

Adou Thiero

As he was during the final stretch of last season, when he finally got some minutes from Redick, Adou Thiero is a relentless high-reel with athleticism that’s off the charts.

Thiero has a lot of potential to be a rotational player on the NBA level for the Lakers, but he definitely needs to develop an outside shot.

Aside from the need to improve shooting, Thiero has had an impressive Summer League showing, which hopefully carries over to next season.

Summer League Averages: 14.8 pts (48.8 FG%), 5.3 rebs, 3.0 asts and 1.8 stls

Jon Elmore

As the feel-good story for the Lakers, Jon Elmore has quickly become the fan favorite, even though he’s only played two games during this Summer League stretch.

Elmore is the oldest player (30) in the Summer League, but he plays with a lot of heart and seems fearless when he gets time on the floor.

He’s a knockdown shooter, a solid distributor of the basketball and is no slouch defensively.

Although he’s a longshot to make the Lakers’ final roster, he’s put on a show and may merit a spot on the Coachella Valley Lakers or on a two-way contract for another NBA squad.

Summer League Averages: 8.5 pts (62.5 FG%, 71.4 3FG%), 2.5 rebs, 5.0 asts, 1.5 stls and 1.0 blks

Lakers Summer League Players: Trending Down

Peter Suder

Coming into Summer League play, Peter Suder was thought to prove his value through his shooting. Even though he’s improved slightly in that area, he simply hasn’t made enough of an impact to merit the two-way contract he signed after the 2026 NBA Draft.

Suder could very much be on the roster bubble as the Summer League comes to a close.

The Lakers may waive Suder and give Kaluma a two-way deal instead.

He’ll likely have to have a breakout performance in the semifinals against the Warriors or in the championship game to save his spot.

Summer League Averages: 5.8 pts (44.4 FG%, 30 3FG%), 2.8 rebs and 2.3 asts

AK Okereke

Along with Suder, AK Okereke hasn’t been all that impressive during the Summer League up to this point, which could also put him on the roster bubble, especially if the Lakers believe there are better options out there.

Okereke and Suder will be under more pressure than any other two players on the Lakers’ roster heading into the matchup against the Warriors, as they’ll have to make an impression or could be looking for another job elsewhere in the league.

Summer League Averages: 5.3 pts (46.7 FG%, 40 3FG%), 2.0 rebs and 2.0 asts

NBA Summer League Schedule

NBA Summer League Semifinals: Lakers vs. Warriors at 5:30 p.m. PST

NBA Summer League Championship: Teams TBD at 6 p.m. PST

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