The 2023 NBA Draft has come and gone, which means the start of Summer League is just around the corner for the Los Angeles Lakers.
As has been the case the last few years, the Lakers will play a pair of games in the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento before moving on to Las Vegas, where all 30 teams will take part.
In the California Classic though, the Lakers are scheduled to play the Miami Heat on July 3 and San Antonio Spurs on July 5. That second game was thought to have added intrigue for obvious reasons after the Spurs drafted Victor Wembanyama first overall.
Unfortunately though, that will not be the case as the Spurs announced that Wembanyama will not be playing in the California Classic before joining his team in Las Vegas, via Marc J. Spears of Andscape:
The Spurs say No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will not be traveling to Sacramento with the summer league team for two games but will join the team in Las Vegas. The Spurs’ first summer league game in Las Vegas will be July 7 against the Charlotte Hornets.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 28, 2023
While it sucks for Lakers fans and the NBA world that Wembanyama will not be playing on July 5, it makes sense for the Spurs to limit his playing time this summer. Wembanyama’s 2022-23 season in France just ended a couple of weeks ago, and with five games scheduled in the Las Vegas Summer League, he will have plenty of opportunities to show the world what he can do against NBA-level competition.
On the other hand, the Lakers facing a Spurs team without Wembanyama should give them a chance to pick up a win in the California Classic to build some momentum for Las Vegas.
The Lakers’ roster will feature returning players Max Christie and Cole Swider along with their 2023 draft class and undrafted signings, which includes Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, Colin Castleton, D’Moi Hodge, Alex Fudge and Damion Baugh so far. There’s a lot of talent on that team, so it will be interesting to see if they can rack up some wins and make a run at the Las Vegas Summer League Championship.
Lakers scheduled to play Warriors, Hornets, Celtics and Grizzlies in Las Vegas
After playing the Heat and Spurs in Sacramento, the Lakers are scheduled to play the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies in Las Vegas. They will then finish with a fifth game, which could be the championship if they are one of the top two teams.
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