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Lakers Could Have Their Next Big Star Emerging in 2026
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Arthur Kaluma has been around the basketball world long enough to know nothing is guaranteed. That might be exactly why he feels like such an interesting player to watch for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2026-27.
Kaluma wasn't a first-round headline name. He wasn't handed a clear NBA role the moment he arrived. Instead, he had to earn attention, and he did that during Summer League when he looked like one of the more confident players on the floor.
The forward averaged 18.6 points while shooting 50 percent from three, showing the kind of scoring touch that can make teams take another look. Summer League numbers always come with a little caution, because the games are different and the rotations are different. But when a player consistently looks comfortable creating offense and knocking down shots, people notice. The Lakers noticed.
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Kaluma earned a two-way contract and enters training camp with some momentum behind him. The opportunity is there, especially with a roster that has gone through significant changes and is looking for players who can bring energy, versatility, and a little unpredictability.
That last part matters. NBA teams always need guys who can change the feel of a game without needing everything built around them.
The Lakers also brought in Walker Kessler to strengthen the middle, while rookie Cameron Carr enters the picture as another young player hoping to earn a role. But Kaluma might be the most intriguing name.
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Nothing about his path has been handed to him. Now he gets a chance to show the Lakers that his Summer League run wasn't just a nice few weeks in July. It was a preview of what he can bring when the games start counting.
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