Arthur Kaluma makes most of Lakers summer league opportunity
LAS VEGAS - As Arthur Kaluma walked off the court at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday night, Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean made a beeline to the 6-foot-7 forward fresh off his NBA Summer League star turn.
St. Jean, who has been familiar with Kaluma through the 24 year old’s stint playing for the G League South Bay Lakers last season – the Lakers and their G League squad shared the El Segundo facility up until the secondary franchise’s relocation to Coachella Valley for the years ahead – wrapped his arm around the summer-league Laker and patted Kaluma on the chest in support as they followed a line toward the locker room.
St. Jean, who watched the game from baseline seats, wasn’t alone. The enthusiasm for Kaluma’s 34-point effort on Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks was shared across the organization.
“(Kaluma) plays with confidence, he knows how to find windows, and he knows how to find the ones that are good looks for both him and our team,” Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott said of Kaluma, who moved into the starting lineup after first-round draft pick Cameron Carr was held out with a right thumb contusion.
Courtside Lakers – Jake LaRavia and Bronny James, along with new Lakers Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili – rose to their feet in celebration, howling when Kaluma’s sixth 3-pointer of the night circled the drain in the Lakers’ 91-70 victory.
“I think when a player is doing well in any game, as a good teammate, you got to find him and try to put him in positions to score and get good shots,” said two-way Lakers guard Chris Manon, who played in the G League with Kaluma last season. “He was kind of doing his own thing, so I’m glad he was able to do that.”
Last year, Kaluma suffered an injury that held him out of the Lakers’ final two summer league games after he had signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the team after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. Kaluma, who is not currently contracted on a two-way or guaranteed contract with the Lakers or any NBA franchise for the season ahead, is making the most of his opportunity in front of league personnel in Las Vegas. Along with Manon, guard Peter Suder and forward AK Okereke currently make up the Lakers’ three two-way roster spots.
The Ugandan-American pro has scored in double digits in each of the four games he’s played across the California Classic in San Francisco and the summer league slate in Las Vegas. Kaluma has averaged 20.0 points per game on 59.1% shooting. Saturday was Kaluma’s best performance of the summer yet, sinking six 3s on 11 attempts (38.1% from beyond the arc overall)
“People come to summer league for opportunities,” Kaluma said. “Unfortunately, last year I didn't have an opportunity because I had to go home with an injury. But just being me and able to come out here and perform at this level. It's been amazing. All glory to God."
Last season in the G League, Kaluma averaged 13.8 points per game on 55.2% shooting in 40 regular season games (including the Tip-Off Tournament) for the South Bay Lakers. Kaluma added 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Whereas other players moved up and down between South Bay and the NBA, Kaluma made his bread and butter in the G League.
Kaluma’s G League experience is an aspect of his career that he feels is paying dividends during the summer.
"The G can get grimy, you know what I'm saying?” Kaluma said on Saturday night. “It's a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G. And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform in summer league."
Where does Kaluma see himself as most comfortable going forward? Saturday may have been about his stellar shooting, but the forward who played for Texas, Kansas State and Creighton during his four years of college sees his defensive prospects as just as important as his shot-making ability.
“(I can play) wherever you need me,” Kaluma said. “I'm not going to lie to you. I pride myself on the defensive end. I know I got hot offensively, but the shot was just falling (Saturday), you know what I'm saying? My game is 3-and-D. I lock up on defense and I know I can hit open shots. I just got hot … and I'm not going to try to let it get to my head."
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