It’s not often a summer league roster has three first-round picks on it, not to mention a member of the 2015 All-Rookie First Team, but that’s exactly the case for the Los Angeles Lakers are they embark on the Las Vegas Summer League after the worst season in the history of the storied franchise.
The second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, D’Angelo Russell, will be joined by the No. 27 selection from the same draft, Larry Nance, Jr. In addition, they will play alongside the No. 7 overall pick from the 2014 Draft, that being Julius Randle, who will be participating in the summer league after missing all but three quarters of the entire 2014 season. Finally, Jordan Clarkson will be on the roster as well, after he was one of the lone bright spots during the Lakers’ nightmarish season, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team by averaging 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Two other players from the 2015 draft class, undrafted free agent Robert Upshaw and second-round pick Anthony Brown, a lights-out shooter from Stanford, will also be aboard.
Los Angeles, who is in need of talent from all avenues, probably will trot out one of, if not the most, talented rosters of all teams participating in the Las Vegas Summer League. Fans can get a glimpse into their future by using Hipmunk.com for Las Vegas flights, in addition to having the ability to book Las Vegas hotels starting from $20 per night to see what some of their high draft picks are all about before the season begins.
The Las Vegas Summer League begins on July 10 and runs through July 20. It includes 24 teams, including a D-League Selects team. The Lakers currently have games scheduled against the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 10, the Philadelphia 76ers on July 11, and the New York Knicks on July 13.
Lakers tickets won’t be flying off the shelves like in years’ past, but they certainly have some intriguing young talent that can mix well with Kobe Bryant if his health holds up in what might be his final season. Randle’s injury last year makes this season feel as if Los Angeles has added two top-seven draft picks for the upcoming campaign, along with a pure shooter in Brown. This time around, they might just have enough depth to get back into the postseason.
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