Lakers Sign Former Texas Longhorns Forward After 2025 NBA Draft

AUSTIN -- A former Texas Longhorns forward is officially getting his chance after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Per reports from ESPN's Jonathan Givony, former Texas forward Arthur Kaluma has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. This now sets him up for a chance to either make the opening night roster or earn a spot with the franchise's G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

Kaluma averaged 12.3 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds at Texas last season. He was the team's second-leading scorer behind freshman guard Tre Johnson, who was drafted No. 6 overall by the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Kaluma's deal is an Exhibit 10 contract, meaning he will sign a a one-year, minimum salary agreement that is not guaranteed.

Another Longhorn on the Lakers?

If Kaluma makes the final roster, he would join former Texas big man Jaxson Hayes, who will be entering his third season with the Lakers barring a trade this offseason.

Hayes was originally the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans prior to the start of his rookie season.

He had been the most recent Longhorn to be a Top 10 pick in the NBA Draft until Johnson was taken by the Wizards at sixth overall this year.

Kaluma's NBA "calling card"

Kaluma has a unique skill set for a player his size, which gives him some interesting potential at the next level. At 6-8, 225 pounds, he can put the ball on the floor while offering both physicality and creativity as a scorer. He moves his feet well and can often be a mismatch off the dribble for slower opposing big men.

In an 87-82 loss to No. 2 Auburn on Jan. 7, Kaluma had a career-high 34 points to go along with eight rebounds. He went 12 of 16 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range, nearly leading Texas on a improbable comeback in the process.

Patient with the ball in his hands, Kaluma often gets defenders to bite on pump fakes at the rim and on the perimeter. He shot a career-best 35.9 percent from 3-point range last season and is respectable enough from that range that defenders are forced to contest. During the three-day 2025NBA G-League Elite Camp in May, Kaluma shot 21 of 25 from 3-point range during one of the drills.

But while his offensive versatility draws most of the attention, Kaluma emphasized his defense during the draft process.

Kaluma met with reporters after his pre-draft workout with the Portland Trail Blazers and said teams have told him his defense could be his "calling card" in the league.

"Just my fundamentals, my tools," Kaluma said. "(I have a) 7'1 wingspan, I'm 6'8. I can move my feet on the ball, defend one through five and then I can knock down open shots and make good reads. ... "[Teams have] been telling me my calling card in the NBA is going to be playing defense and knocking down open shots. So every workout I'm in, that's what I try to showcase -- my ability to guard and my ability to bring energy and communicate."

The Lakers will begin Summer League action against the Dallas Mavericks on July 10.