Latest news with #CaliforniaClassic
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Report: Vanderbilt forward Chris Mañon to sign two-way contract with Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers plan to sign 7-footer Christian Koloko and forward Chris Manon on two-way NBA contracts, sources tell ESPN. Manon, undrafted out of Vanderbilt, played for the Warriors in California and Las Vegas summer leagues. Koloko played 37 games for L.A. last season. Former Vanderbilt forward Chris Mañon has reportedly agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Mañon averaged 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.3 assists and one block on 53.3% shooting from the field in 33 games last season as a senior. He finished in double figures six times, including a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Missouri on March 1. The 6-foot-5 standout played the first three years of college at Cornell and was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection as a junior, averaging 12.5 points, four rebounds, three assists and 2.2 steals. He led the conference in steals and steal percentage (5.5). Mañon played with the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic and NBA Summer League, averaging nine points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks on 44.2% shooting from the field in seven appearances. He finished with a 17-point performance on Saturday. The 23-year-old will split his time next season between the NBA and the South Bay Lakers in the G League. He is eligible to be active for up to 50 games in the NBA and will earn $636,435, equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service. Mañon will now have the chance to begin his career with the Lakers and develop within the organization. He is expected to be the third player signed to a two-way contract by the team, along with Eric Dixon and Christian Koloko.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Lakers' Bronny James Lands on Significant List After NBA Summer League
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entering his second NBA season, there are a lot of questions surrounding Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James. After being drafted late in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, James went through a rollercoaster rookie season. The media hounded him and covered almost every angle of his first professional season. Despite the media scrutiny, James remained focused on improving his game. He worked hard, whether he was with the Lakers' NBA team or in the G-League. Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands on the court during a break in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack... Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands on the court during a break in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More Photo byJames was one of the top storylines entering the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Each and every game, he was watched like a hawk. Read more: Lakers Linked to Potential Trade for 2-Time All-Star Guard He played well throughout Summer League action, which has led to him being included on a significant list. In a new column on analyst Jerry Jiang named James as one of the top sophomore standouts from this year's Summer League action. "Following a strong campaign at the California Classic, Bronny James built on the success in Las Vegas. The biggest difference was confidence — James simply looked more comfortable running the offense and continued to shoot the 3-point shot well," Jiang wrote. "Though the Lakers lost to the Clippers on July 14, James was one of the few bright spots as he logged a complete game: 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three 3-pointers. Additionally, he notably averaged 16.3 ppg, 4.3 apg and 2.6 rpg over a three-game stretch, able to get teammates involved and spark runs throughout." Not long ago, James spoke out about his NBA future with Los Angeles. He knows he has a lot of work to do on his game, but also knows that he's capable of being a high-caliber defensive presence. "There's gonna be guys that can score 15, 20 a game," James said. "I'm most likely not going to be that guy right now... I've got to be a defensive menace." Read more: Report: Warriors Receive Major Al Horford Free Agency Update Already to begin his career, James has shown a lot of maturity. He has risen above the media and has focused on doing everything he can to improve. That could lead to a long-term career. If he can become a defensive stopper, there will always be a place for him on a roster. His performance during the Summer League showed improvement on both sides of the court. There is no telling what kind of role James might have for the Lakers during the 2025-26 NBA season, but he's doing everything he can to work his way into minutes. For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis reflects on first summer league experience: ‘I learned a lot'
Summer league was quite the experience for Miami Heat rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis. There was some good and there was some bad. Most importantly, there was plenty to learn from. 'I'm happy to have this experience,' Jakucionis said at the end of his first summer league after being taken by the Heat with the 20th pick in the first round of last month's draft. 'I think we learned a lot as a team. Also for me individually, I think I learned a lot and just gaining experience every time is good. So I'm just trying to take it all in from coaches, from players who have been here. I'm just trying to listen and trying to take as much information as I can.' The 19-year-old Jakucionis struggled at times, like when he totaled just 12 points on 1-of-15 from the field, 0-of-11 shooting from three-point range and 10-of-12 shooting from the foul line in his first three summer league games at the California Classic. Jakucionis also flashed the intriguing upside that led some to project him to be a lottery pick in the draft before he fell to the Heat at No. 20, recording an efficient 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 shooting on threes, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in the Heat's first game of Las Vegas Summer League. In the end, Jakucionis averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.7 turnovers per game while shooting 14 of 44 (31.8%) from the field and 6 of 28 (21.4%) from three-point range in six appearances during his uneven but important summer league showing. He only missed two of the Heat's eight summer league games this year, including being held out of Friday's 93-92 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas to wrap up summer league with a 4-4 overall record — 2-1 at the California Classic and 2-3 at Las Vegas Summer League. 'The organization had seen what they needed to see from Kas, and he played his amount of games,' Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Eric Glass said of the organization's decision to sit Jakucionis for Friday's summer league finale. 'And we're trying to get some other guys in there. 'But I think the biggest takeaway from Kas is we got to learn him, he got to learn us. We got some stuff on tape. And now we have seven, eight weeks to get him better, to get him ready for the start of the season and to improve his skills. And that was good. It's important to have that learning process and help him understanding as a 19-year-old what it's going to be like to play professional basketball against grown men in the NBA. And he's ready for that challenge and we're excited.' Jakucionis didn't shoot the ball well during summer summer league and he totaled 15 assists to 22 turnovers during his six summer league appearances. But he was able to make an impact in other ways by drawing enough fouls to go 23 of 25 at the free-throw line and also impressing with his hustle and defense during summer league. 'That was a good teaching point for him and we were all encouraged by the mental makeup he had,' Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said while appearing on an ESPN broadcast of a Heat summer league game in Las Vegas 'Look, it was uneven offensively — there's no doubt about it. He had a lot of turnovers, some mistakes. All the intangibles — the defense, the hustle plays, the passing, all of that he was able to do while having some uneven offensive play. 'Sometimes that can take a spirit or confidence away from a player, but he found a way to impact the game, impact winning. That's what our scouts really liked about him as a young player. They watched him a whole lot more than we did at Illinois.' But turnovers and three-point shooting were two issues Jakucionis also dealt with during his lone college season. While still impressing as a freshman at Illinois with his passing and playmaking ability, he averaged 3.7 turnovers per game for an exceptionally high turnover rate of 25.4% and shot just 31.8% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game last season. Struggling with those same areas in summer league will serve as another teaching point at this early stage of Jakucionis' development. 'Basketball is not all about shots,' Jakucionis said of his approach. 'One day it can fall in and the other day it won't fall in, but you still have to stick with the process and do everything you can on the floor and just give 100 percent.' Next up for Jakucionis is some time spent in his home country of Lithuania after a whirlwind of a few months that included the end of his one college season, the NBA Draft Combine, pre-draft workouts, the NBA Draft and summer league. He'll return to Miami in early August to begin preparing for his first NBA training camp and season. 'Every experience helps you,' Jakucionis said at the end of his first summer league. 'As much experience as you have, the more comfortable you feel moving forward. I'm just so happy to have this opportunity.'
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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Two-way contract player Vlad Goldin steps up to help Heat finish summer league with win over Bucks
While most of the intriguing names on the Miami Heat's summer league roster were held of its summer-league finale, the Heat closed summer league with a bunch of players still vying for an NBA contract. With Kasparas Jakucionis, Keshad Johnson, Pelle Larsson and Kel'el Ware held out on Friday, the Heat finished summer league with a 93-92 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Pavilion on UNLV's campus in Las Vegas in a competitive game that included 25 lead changes and 13 ties. After going 6-0 in Las Vegas on the way to claiming last year's summer league championship, the Heat couldn't repeat as champions and posted a overall summer league record of 4-4 this year — 2-1 at the California Classic and 2-3 at Las Vegas Summer League. Jakucionis, Johnson, Larsson and Ware are the only four players on the Heat's summer league roster who are signed by the Heat to standard contracts for this upcoming seson. Johnson, Larsson and Ware each played in five of the Heat's eight summer league games and Jakucionis played in six of the Heat's eight summer league contests. It marked Johnson, Larsson and Ware's second summer league after helping the Heat win the Las Vegas Summer League title last year. But this marked Jakucionis' first summer league after being selected by Miami with the 20th pick in the first round of last month's draft. The 19-year-old Jakucionis averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.7 turnovers per game while shooting 14 of 44 (31.8 percent) from the field and 6 of 28 (21.4 percent) from three-point range in in six appearances during his uneven summer league showing. Without Jakucionis, Johnson, Larsson and Ware, the Heat closed summer league with a starting lineup of Vlad Goldin, Erik Stevenson, Kira Lewis Jr., Myron Gardner and JC Butler. Goldin, who is signed by the Heat to a two-way contract, is the only player currently on an NBA deal who played for the Heat's summer team on Friday. He took advantage of the opportunity, turning in his best performance of this year's summer league with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from the foul line, 10 rebounds and four blocks in 22 minutes. Goldin helped the Heat escape the back-and-forth affair with a victory, scoring 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. Among those currently free agents and looking for their next basketball stop who stepped up for the Heat on Friday were Stevenson, Javonte Cooke and Gardner. Stevenson, who went undrafted in 2023 and has spent the last two seasons in the G League, finished with 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-of-10 shooting on threes, three rebounds, five assists and one block in 18 minutes before exiting Friday's contest early in the second half because of a finger injury. Cooke, who went undrafted in 2022 and has spent the last three seasons in the G League, recorded 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, 0-of-4 shooting on threes and 4-of-4 shooting from the foul line, three rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block in 27 minutes. Gardner, who went undrafted in 2023 and has spent the last two seasons in the G League, totaled 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field, 2-of-4 shooting on threes and 6-of-6 shooting from the foul line, six rebounds, two assists, four steals and one block in 26 minutes. The Heat has one open spot on its 15-man standard roster and two open two-way contract slots, but has held off on filling those openings up to this point. With the Heat already above the luxury tax threshold, Miami is more likely to use a two-way deal that doesn't count toward the salary cap, luxury tax or aprons to add a developmental player who impressed in summer league. Next up for the Heat is some downtime before things ramp up ahead of this upcoming season. The Heat is scheduled to hold its annual media day on Sept. 29 before opening training camp on Sept. 30 to kick off the 2025-26 season.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
What are the Warriors' biggest takeaways from a sloppy summer league?
LAS VEGAS — The Golden State Warriors completed Thursday their four-game NBA summer league schedule at UNLV's Cox Pavilion. With 27 turnovers and 69 points. Aggressive ball pressure applied against the Warriors stymied their 28-15 lead against the unbeaten Toronto Raptors, to whom they lost 81-69. Golden State concludes NBA summer league Saturday with consolation play against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as was finalized Thursday night. A sparse but energetic crowd saw Chris Manon lead the Warriors with 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Will Richard added seven points, five rebounds and four assists while Alex Toohey tallied two 3-pointers, eight points and four rebounds. 'I liked the mentality of our guys. I never felt like they backed down,' summer league head coach Lainn Wilson said. 'The guys that we called upon gave everything they could, and that's all we could ask for.' Golden State through seven games — including the California Classic at Chase Center — is 3-4 in summer league play. With the preset portion of its summer league finished, here are three sets of takeaways: The second-round rookies: Richard (this year's 56th overall pick) during his six-game stint has flashed two-way tenacity as a bothersome on-ball defender for the Warriors, connecting possessions offensively. He shoots when he's open, drives past closeouts and looks for open teammates when he's covered. The 6-foot-4-inch wing also senses when to screen and cut when he's working offensively off the ball, occasionally operating as a ballhandling initiator. 'Just doing a little bit of everything,' Richard, 22, said Tuesday after a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. 'We have a lot of guys who can do that as well. Just trying to keep it in my role and take the opportunity when it's there.' Richard this summer is averaging 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 43.1% amid 6-of-29 shooting from 3-point range. His streaky showing from beyond the arc hasn't stopped him from hoisting without hesitation so long as he's uncovered. As for Toohey (the 52nd pick), 21, he's eased his way into summer league play — configuring NBA feel and speed after playing two seasons in Australia's NBL. As he adjusted, the 6-8 forward sought to match opposing physicality by initiating contact during drives and battling for position defensively. Finishing through length and strength was a struggle, though Toohey remained aggressive attacking. He's averaged 8.0 points shooting 26.8%, including 4-of-14 from 3-point range, to go with 4.4 rebounds. Wilson highlighted Toohey's 'overall toughness and physicality,' explaining 'a lot of guys have tried to go at him and have tried to push them around and he hasn't backed down one bit, which is always good to see from a coach's perspective.' Toohey for his part said he's feeling more comfortable playing in Golden State's summer system 'and I think just kind of getting my body right, having a few niggles early on, having to sort that out and it's going to be a long season, so you've got to make sure body is right. That's just as important as playing itself.' Two-way signees: Jackson Rowe didn't play against the Raptors, halting his steady seven-game showing as the team's lone participant who played in 2024-25 for the Warriors. The sturdy forward, 28, averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals — shooting 49% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range. He's an active defender, screener and cutter who doesn't require offensive usage. Taran Armstrong, 23, flashed pace from the point with advancing passes and purposeful pushes for transition offense or quickly initiated halfcourt actions. Ball pressure could be bothersome as he, too, adjusts to the speed of play. A streaky shooter, he also wouldn't hesitate to fire when open from 3-point range. Through five summer matchups, Armstrong averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 38.7% from the field and 36.8% (7 of 19) from 3-point range. The best of the rest: Manon has proved an aggressive defender guarding the wing who maintains the rhythm of offensive possessions by properly shooting, driving or passing. Coleman Hawkins has floor-spacing potential as a power forward or center, doubling as a proficient passer. Gabe Madsen is shooting 50% from 3-point range. p
