The Los Angeles Lakers have earned a reputation around the league for finding gems either later in the second round of the NBA Draft or in the undrafted free agent pool.
Names like Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves come to mind, but there are several other young players that have signed with the Lakers and gone on to establish real value in the league. After the 2025 NBA Draft where Los Angeles traded up twice to select Adou Thiero, they also made some noise with their undrafted signings.
For example, the Lakers signed Augustas Marciulionis to an Exhibit 10 deal which ensures he’ll be in training camp with the parent team before likely being assigned to their G League affiliate the South Bay Lakers. Marciulionis would have likely been drafted had he not broken his foot before the draft, but now joins an L.A. organization looking to develop young talent for the future.
Marciulionis admitted he was unsure where he’d wind up, but expressed how much he’s looking forward to being with the Lakers, via Vaidas Jukavicius of Basketnews.com:
“It was very strange (laughs). That whole period of uncertainty—when I didn’t know how things would turn out—was tough. And then the Lakers option came along. But there’s still a lot to prove and a lot of work to earn a full contract. They showed me a lot of attention both in interviews and when it came to signing. I’m glad I’m in a good environment that believes in me—that’s the most important thing.”
Marciulionis was courted by the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles and he explained why he ultimately signed with the purple and gold:
“The attention was similar from both teams. But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted. We understood the situation better there. For some reason, LA just felt like the right choice. Still, it wasn’t easy because I don’t know that much about the NBA environment yet. But we thought this was the best place for me.”
Marciulionis is a hard prospect to project given he’s been injured, but in terms of upside and fit he’s a great flyer to take on.
Augustas Marciulionis almost ready to play for Lakers
By his own admission, Augustas Marciulionis said he got hurt at the wrong possible time. Fortunately, it sounds like his rehab went well as he said he’s almost ready to play.
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