Arthur Kaluma Is Making It Impossible for Lakers Not to Give Him Two-Way Contract

Arthur Kaluma went undrafted out of Texas in 2025, got waived by the Los Angeles Lakers before the season started, and spent the entire year grinding in the G League with South Bay.

Twelve months later, he has become the biggest story of the Lakers' summer, and the front office now faces a decision that should not be difficult at all.

The 24-year-old forward opened Las Vegas play with 18 points on a perfect 5 for 5 from the field against the Thunder, then followed it with a 34-point eruption in the 91-70 win over Dallas, hitting 11 of 16 shots and six of his 10 three-point attempts.

He added 14 points in just 20 minutes off the bench in Thursday's 105-82 win over the Bulls, which pushed the Lakers to 4-0 in Vegas and clinched the top seed heading into Saturday's semifinal against the Warriors.

None of this came out of nowhere.

Kaluma averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds across 35 games with South Bay last season, and his summer run is simply that same game translating against better competition.

After the Dallas performance, he explained exactly what he brings.

"My game is 3-and-D," Kaluma said. "I lock up on defense, I hit open shots, I got hot today and not gonna let it try to get to my head."

The moment carries extra meaning because his first shot at this stage never really happened.

"People come to Summer League for an opportunity," Kaluma said. "Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity last year because I had to go home with an injury."

That self-awareness matters for a roster built around stars.

A 6-foot-7 wing with a 7-foot-1 wingspan who defends multiple positions, runs the floor, and knocks down open looks fits cleanly next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the same way rookie Cameron Carr has been building his own rotation case this summer.

The complication for Los Angeles is that the Lakers only hold Kaluma's G League returning rights, which means any team in the league can sign him to a two-way or standard deal without giving up anything.

The franchise lived through this exact scenario with Scotty Pippen Jr., who left for Memphis and became a real contributor.

The 15-man roster filled up when Ziaire Williams signed on July 14, and all three two-way spots belong to Chris Manon, AK Okereke, and Peter Suder.

Okereke and Suder have struggled this summer, though, and a team still shopping for wing defenders in free agency should recognize it already has one in the building.

The first season without LeBron James will test the depth behind the stars, and injuries always arrive eventually.

Kaluma has done everything possible to earn one of those spots, so the Lakers should move before another front office does it for them.