Getty Talen Horton-Tucker of the Iowa State Cyclones lays up a shot.
For the first time in a few years, the Lakers’ Las Vegas Summer League team is going to look a whole lot different than in years’ past. With the departure of Summer League stalwarts Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart, the Lakers will have mostly fresh faces suiting up this offseason.
Without the star power they’ve possessed in years past, the court is open for one of the new young additions to make a lasting impact on the team and potentially parlay it into a roster spot.
Let’s take a look at who could experience a breakout Summer League with such a wide-open roster.
Possible Lakers 2019 Summer League Star: Talen Horton-Tucker
We’ll start off with an easy one here as Horton-Tucker was widely hailed as one of the biggest steals of the second round. With NBA-ready size and strength to go with a suffocating wingspan, Horton-Tucker has the chance to come out and turn heads on the defensive side of the ball immediately. If he can showcase a competent offensive game early on, he might wind up being the most impactful player on the roster – by far.
Possible Lakers 2019 Summer League Star: Isaac Bonga
Isaac Bonga is an extremely curious case – assuming he doesn’t get traded. Possessing more of a forward’s height while primarily playing point guard, Bonga is an extremely athletic, but raw, specimen. He is rail thin and as he fills out over time, should become a much more effective scorer and facilitator. It should be extremely interesting to see how Bonga responds after a full season of development in an NBA system and if he puts it all together, he could be a dynamic force and epic mismatch on the offensive end.
Possible Lakers 2019 Summer League Star: Joe Young
Joe Young checks just about every box of a player who comes into the Summer League and absolutely dominates. With three years of NBA service under his belt, he understands nuances of the game that most other Summer Leaguers simply haven’t experienced yet. More than just the experience, Young is a proven scorer with very respectable per-36 stats despite not seeing too much of the floor as a Pacer. Coming off a dominant year in China, Young should look to keep his hot hand going in Summer League and will likely emerge as the Lakers’ top scoring option.