‘It wasn’t easy…’ New Lakers signing reveals the key reason why he picked LA over the Milwaukee Bucks

Augustas Marciulionis believes there is still a lot to prove

Augustas Marciulionis is playing for Lithuania in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament where stars like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are set to feature.

The Lithuanian suffered a broken foot just ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft and that led to him going undrafted.

However, the Bucks and Lakers approached him after the draft, but his choice was to go ahead with the team in Purple and Gold.

Marciulionis said: “The attention was similar from both teams. But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I k new and trusted. We understood the situation better there.

“For some reason, LA just felt like the right choice. Still, it wasn’t easy because I don’t know that much about the NBA environment yet. But we thought this was the best place for me.”

He played for the Saint Mary’s Gaels team in college and averaged 14.2 PPG in the 2024-25 NCAA tournament.

Marciulionis also averaged 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals, which shows he has the ability to be a great point guard.

“It was very strange (laughs). That whole period of uncertainty—when I didn’t know how things would turn out—was tough. And then the Lakers option came along. But there’s still a lot to prove and a lot of work to earn a full contract.

“They showed me a lot of attention both in interviews and when it came to signing. I’m glad I’m in a good environment that believes in me—that’s the most important thing,” Marciulionis added.

Lakers have done smart business this offseason

The Lakers brought the likes of Marcus Smart , Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia in free agency.

All of these players have a lot to prove, especially Ayton who according to Kendrick Perkins believes has to perform brilliantly for the Lakers to avoid a potential exit from the NBA.

Smart has been battling with injuries since leaving the Boston Celtics and his stint on the Lakers could help him prove to others that he still can be a star on a contending team.

LaRavia has not been on a good team in his career and this move could help unlock his true potential.

Meanwhile, their two-way and Exhibit signings have also been impressive.

They signed NCAA scoring champion Eric Dixon on an Exhibit 10 Deal and he has already opened up on what he will bring to the Lakers.

The likes of Kaluma and Marciulionis are also talented players, which is why it will be exciting to see who makes the roster at the start of the 2025-26 season.