Los Angeles Lakers Summer League play tips off on Monday at the California Classic in Sacramento. The Lakers will face the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs (without Victor Wembanyama) on Wednesday before heading to Las Vegas for the NBA 2K24 Summer League.

Lakers assistant JD Dubois will serve as head coach. Here are five notable prospects to watch.

Max Christie

Christie should be one of the better players in Vegas. Christie held his own as a rookie when given opportunities in the rotation. Across a 20-game span beginning on Dec. 16, he shot 42.1% from 3 in 16.7 minutes per game. He displayed NBA-level lateral agility and impressive defensive and rebounding instincts (his athleticism and rebounding stood out last July). At Summer League practice last week, the 20-year-old said he's added nearly 20 pounds since being drafted.

He's expected to be a consistent rotation piece as a sophomore, so we'll see how cautious the Lakers are with him over the next few weeks.

 

Jalen Hood-Schifino

Lakers fans will be amped to get a first look at the no. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Lakers didn't draft the 20-year-old as a project. JHS — who exudes smooth confidence and maturity — has a shot to crack Darvin Ham's rotation. The Lakers believe his size (6'6, 215 pounds), work ethic, and basketball IQ will enable him to contribute sooner rather than later, then ultimately blossom into a versatile, two-way wing with point guard chops.

“A well-rounded young man that works his ass off on the floor,” described Rob Pelinka. “He’s a good young man off the floor. That’s it more than anything. The kid was just a pro. In college. I’m like, ‘How in the hell can this guy be this mature?’”

Hood-Schifino's on-ball playmaking and midrange skills should jump out right away in Summer League. We'll also get an early glimpse of how his shooting and athleticism will translate to the next level.

“Obviously, a big guard. I check a lot of boxes,” he said at his introductory presser. “Floor general. Gets teammates involved. And then defensively, pretty good defender. Can guard multiple positions. I think one of the biggest questions going into the draft is consistently showing I can shoot the ball.”

Hood-Schifino will likely be the first Lakers first-round pick to play for the team as a rookie since Mo Wagner in 2018.

Maxwell Lewis

The Lakers are high on the ex-Pepperdine wing — they paid $4.4 million to trade up seven picks in the second round and had him graded as a first-round talent, per Pelinka.

Lewis averaged 17.1 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore while shooting 35.4% from 3. The 20-year-old is raw and slight, but his bounce is eye-popping and his shooting might stand out right away.

If nothing else, Lewis will hopefully try to show out in his hometown of Vegas. I bet we see some above-the-rim highlights and outside snipes.

“I think the league is full of young players that can surprise, even in the playoffs,” Pelinka said about JHS or Lewis making an impact as rookies. “The team that beat us, Denver, had a guy they drafted last year that was in their rotation (Christian Braun). I don’t want to put a limit on what either of these guys can do with Coach Ham and the team. … If they earn minutes in our rotation, that’s because they put in the work to do it.”

Scotty Pippen Jr.

The Sierra Canyon alum produced the most memorable (on-court) Lakers moment of last year's summer League when he converted a tough and-1 in transition and got a nice assist from LeBron James.

Pippen Jr. spent 2022-23 on a two-way contract. He appeared in six games for the Lakers and put up 21.4 points and 5.6 assists in the G-League.

Pippen Jr. is no longer on a two-way deal, for now. His Summer League performance could go a long way in determining his status with the organization going forward.

Colin Castleton

One of the Lakers' two-way spots is occupied by Cole Swider, who appeared in seven games for the Lakers as a rookie. His contract runs through 2023-24. Once again, it should be entertaining to watch him come off screens and let it fly. Swider led the Lakers with 15.4 points and 7.6 3-point attempts per game last summer.

Undrafted free agent D'Moi Hudge was reportedly given a two-way contract following the draft. The 6'4 guard from Missouri earned Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year honors while at Cleveland State and contended for SEC DPOY last year. He also made 40% of his 3s at high volume in 2022-23. It'll be fun to watch Hodge hound ball-handlers, Dennis Schroder-style (the quality of basketball at Summer League isn't always pristine, but the individual effort from players without established roster spots is exceedingly high).

However, I'll be most intrigued to check out Castleton. The center from Florida is attempting to follow the same path as Austin Reaves, with whom he shares representation. According to his agent, Castleton, like Reaves, steered teams away from selecting him in the second round in order to sign a two-way with the Lakers. Reaves quickly earned a standard NBA contract and became a rotation staple.

Castleton, 23, offers elite rim protection (2.5 blocks per game in college), defensive awareness, and length (6'11, 7'3 wingspan).

At the moment, Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes are the only centers on the Lakers' roster. They're expected to add another big on a minimum contract as their final move of free agency, but a strong showing from Castleton in Sacramento/Vegas could signal a future with the Lakers — possibly sooner than expected.