Arthur Kaluma didn’t need long to make the Lakers pay attention.
By the time NBA Summer League wrapped up, the rookie forward had done enough to push Los Angeles into a quick roster move. The Lakers had started play with all three of their available two-way contract spots occupied, but Kaluma’s performance changed that. They signed him to a two-way deal and waived undrafted rookie guard Peter Suder to make room.
Kaluma, 24, was already familiar with the organization. He went undrafted in 2025, then spent training camp and preseason with the Lakers before sticking with their G League affiliate. Now he’s on the NBA side of the ledger, even if his path this season is still likely to run mostly through Coachella Valley.
That’s where he’ll get the bulk of his reps, and that’s where he’s focused on sharpening the parts of his game that matter most if he’s ever going to fit next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“My defensive versatility. I can guard one through five, and my ability to make open shots and create on offense,” Kaluma said during Coachella Valley Media Day on Nov.
- “That’s good, but when you’re playing with guys like Luka and AR, the ball is not going to be in your hands as much.
So my off-ball creation is gonna be good. My ability to set screens and most definitely my ability to guard.”
He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game yet, though he did get into one preseason contest with the Lakers this year. His loudest statement came in summer league, where he played seven games across the California Classic and Las Vegas and averaged a little north of 17 points per game.
The efficiency numbers backed it up: 55.1 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from 3-point range and 79.2 percent at the line. Having already spent a year in the Lakers’ system, Kaluma said the comfort level is there, and the coaching continuity helps too. Coachella Valley’s new head coach, Alex Cerda, was on staff last season as an assistant under Zach Guthrie.
Kaluma also sees the G League as more than just a holding pattern. For him, it’s a place to build something real.
“Definitely, if you approach it the correct way. It’s an opportunity for you to get better,” Kaluma said. “And so every single time I come down here or every time I’m gonna be playing in the G League, my main focus is working on the things that are gonna help translate to an NBA court.”
His two-way deal comes with the usual limits, including a 50-game maximum at the NBA level. He’s already been active for a couple of Lakers games this season, though he didn’t get on the floor in either one.
That’s the reality of two-way life: one day you’re in the G League, the next you might be needed upstairs without much warning. Since the G League season opened on Nov. 6, Kaluma has stayed with Coachella Valley, but he’s keeping himself prepared for the moment the Lakers call.
“That’s pretty much it, you gotta stay ready,” Kaluma said. “I can play a game here and they can call me back and I have to go fly out somewhere and play a game with the main team.
So just always being ready and waiting for my number to be called. Just stay consistent and level-headed mentally throughout it all is probably going to be the best thing I can do.”
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Bronny James Is Facing A Lakers Decision Fans Never Expected
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Los Angeles has opened 11-2, so the focus has shifted from survival to fit, and that is where the discussion gets uncomfortable. Buha argued the Lakers could use a steadier ball-handler, which is why the idea of bringing in a more established veteran has entered the conversation while James remains under the microscope for what he has, and has not, provided so far. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Hot Start Puts One More Defense-First Move In Focus
The Lakers strong start has only sharpened the focus on how they want to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and defense remains the clearest priority. With the team already leaning into a more balanced identity, any move that adds a versatile stopper naturally gets attention, especially when it could help shore up the kind of perimeter resistance that matters most in the West.
One name now circulating in that conversation is Derrick Jones Jr., a familiar face to Doncic from their run together in the 2024 Finals. The Clippers could be willing to listen if Jones wants a change of scenery, which gives the Lakers a potential opening if they decide the fit is worth pursuing, and it is easy to see why a defender with that kind of athletic profile would appeal to a team trying to keep its early momentum going. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Hot Streak Suddenly Comes With An Austin Reaves Concern
The Lakers keep rolling, and the latest win only added to the sense that this group has found something early. By beating the Bucks, Los Angeles stretched its winning streak to seven games and moved to 11-2, a start that has them looking like one of the leagues most complete teams while the offense and defense continue to settle in around a new core.
Austin Reaves, though, gave the night a brief scare when he left with a left heel injury, a reminder that even a hot stretch can be complicated by the wear and tear of an NBA season. Luka Doncic also had his own ankle tweak during the game, and the Lakers will be watching both situations closely as they turn toward Phoenix, where availability could matter just as much as momentum. [Read more 🡒]