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LA Lakers add former NBA first-round pick to official Summer League roster next to Bronny James

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of big names on their summer league rosters, including Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, as well as NCAA standout Eric Dixon. They will be joined by a former first-round pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers are no strangers to having all eyes on them during the Summer League. Last year, Bronny James was by far the biggest star–although not the best player–at the mini-tournament, and this year he and Dalton Knecht will return for seven games split between California and Las Vegas.

Knecht and James will be joined by Eric Dixon, the NCAA’s leading scorer, as well as several other former college stars. Rookie Adou Thiero will not join the team as he battles a knee injury.

Alongside Knecht, the only other first-round pick on the Lakers’ roster will be Darius Bazley, who was picked 23rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

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Darius Bazley joins Lakers with hopes of returning to the NBA

Bazley, once a top college commit, spurned both Syracuse and the G League by opting to train independently in his season between the draft and high school, working with New Balance.

He was picked 22nd by the Utah Jazz in 2019 and immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, and then the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he played four and a half seasons before spending short stints with the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, and Jazz. He has played in the Summer League for the Thunder and Brooklyn Nets.

In his NBA career, he has averaged 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 41.4% from the floor.

He has also played in China and the G League, and will likely head back overseas if his summer league stint doesn’t work out.

While most fans will be seeing if Dixon can crack the roster or if James and Knecht can showcase some improvement, Bazley could be one of the better players on the roster. After all, he is the most senior player on the summer league team and joins Knecht and James as the only players who got drafted in their respective classes.

The Lakers will tip off Summer League play on July 5 against the Golden State Warriors.

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Darius Bazley is looking for an NBA role

Last season, the Lakers had Jordan Goodwin, Trey Jemison III, and Christian Koloko on two-way contracts. This summer, Jemison III and Dixon are already signed, meaning there is only one spot left.

The Lakers still have two open roster spots after signing Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, so there is a chance that a Summer League standout could make the cut, although it seems more likely that they will add a proven veteran with real experience.

Bazley has played in 237 NBA games, so he does fit the bill and could help bolster the shallow frontcourt rotation.

The Lakers aren’t the only teams with roster spots, either standard or two-way, so Bazley could parlay a great Summer League showing into a contract with a different team, as well.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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