Lakers Add Jerry West Award Winner to Training Camp Roster

Former North Carolina star RJ Davis was among the four undrafted players who signed a training camp or Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

Davis, 23, is the most decorated player among the four training camp invitees for the Lakers.

The 6-foot guard was the ACC Player of the Year and the recipient of the Jerry West award in 2024 when he averaged a collegiate career-best 21.1 points and 1.2 steals, along with 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Tar Heels. He was the first player from North Carolina to win the award named after the late Lakers legend.

In his fifth and final year in the NCAA, Davis averaged 17.2 points and a career-best 3.6 assists.

Davis left North Carolina as the school’s second all-time leading scorer behind former NBA center Tyler Hansbrough. He shot 36.7% from the 3-point range, but it did not translate in the NBA Summer League.

Getty RJ Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Coleman Hawkins of the Golden State Warriors during the second half in the California Classic summer league game.

 

Davis shot a paltry 23.8% from the 3-point range across a combined seven games in Las Vegas and the California Classic. He averaged 8.0 points and 2.5 assists for the Lakers during the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Davis’ best game came in the Lakers’ 106-84 loss to the Denver Nuggets on July 18. He scored 17 points and three 3-pointers that went with three assists and a steal in the losing effort.

It will be an uphill climb for the undersized scoring guard from Chapel Hill to crack the Lakers roster.

Eric Dixon Compared to Former Laker

Joining Davis in the Lakers with training camp deals are NCAA Division 1 leading scorer Eric Dixon, two-time WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis and 6-foot-7 wing Arthur Kaluma.

Dixon led the nation in scoring with 23.3 points per game for Villanova. He was the highest-ranked prospect on ESPN’s Big Board who went undrafted.

The 6-foot-8 forward-center missed the NBA Summer League due to a foot injury, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. He was on his way to earn a two-way contract until the injury kept him out of the NBA Summer League.

Dixon was also a three-time member of the All-Big East team.

Getty Eric Dixon of the Villanova Wildcats shoots the ball against Dillon Mitchell of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor ranked Dixon No. 46 overall player on his draft board, comparing his game to former Laker Julius Randle and ex-Boston Celtics big man Glen Davis.

“Dixon always had touch throughout college, and it finally translated beyond the arc as a super senior, making 40.7% of his 7.2 attempts per game,” O’Connor wrote. “For NBA purposes, he’ll play off-ball a lot and he made 43.2% of catch-and-shoot 3s, per Synergy.

After missing the NBA Summer League, Dixon gets a second chance to earn a two-way contract in the Lakers’ training camp.

Son of an International Star

Getty Augustas Marciulionis of the Saint Mary’s Gaels brings the ball up the court against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Marciulionis averaged 14.2 points and 5.9 assists for Saint Mary’s last season. The 6-foot-4 Lithuanian guard is the son of former NBA player Sarunas Marciulionis, who was widely considered to be one of the biggest international stars of his time.

The elder Marciulionis spent seven seasons in the NBA, most notably with the Golden State Warriors, during the 90s. He left the NBA with career averages of 12.8 points and 2.2 assists.

Kaluma averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and the California Classic. The 23-year-old wing played for Creighton, Kansas State and Texas in college. He averaged 12.2 points and 7.5 rebounds for Texas in his final season.

All four players’ contracts are non-guaranteed but include bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they are waived and then spend at least 60 days with the South Bay Lakers in the G League.