Lakers Rookie Speaks On ‘Worst Possible’ Injury, Draft Process

The younger Marčiulionis doesn’t have his father’s size, shooting stroke, or potency. Where he does compare favorably is his playmaking. In this way too, he’s a mirror for the younger James, though he left college as a much more polished prospect. At St. Mary’s, the two-time WCC Player of the Year averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in his last two seasons.

Though not a prototypical athlete, Marčiulionis is a creative off-the-dribble scorer. This lends itself to his ability to get others involved. Defenses can’t treat him as a non-factor, which would make it easier to cut off his passing lanes. However, the secret ingredient in his success is his high basketball IQ.

‘Period Of Uncertainty’

Marčiulionis wasn’t able to play for the Lakers Summer League team after undergoing foot surgery in June. The good thing is that L.A. was already aware of the injury before they signed him.

“I probably got injured at the worst possible moment,” Marčiulionis tells BasketNews journalist Vaidas Jukavičius.

“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.”

That being said, Marčiulionis reveals that L.A. “showed (him) a lot of attention both in interviews and when it came to signing.” With that in mind, the 23-year-old is a culture fit for the Lakers if nothing else. Both Jameses will likely appreciate his approach as a floor general. Lakers head coach JJ Redick, known as a basketball junkie, should as well. Then there’s Luka Doncic, who will probably share these sentiments while feeling a deeper connection to Marčiulionis due to their European heritage.

FAQ

Marčiulionis’ transaction doesn’t appear in the NBA’s official transaction log. Instead, L.A.’s newcomers are listed as Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Chris Mañon. Mañon is the only one who didn’t get a standard deal, signing a two-way contract instead.

However, Marčiulionis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Los Angeles. Exhibit 10 contracts are one-year non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals that won’t count against a team’s salary cap. That is, unless it’s converted into a two-way or standard contract. As a result, these deals don’t show up on the NBA’s official transaction log.

In fact, Marčiulionis is one of four players that the Lakers have signed to an Exhibit 10 contract this offseason, joining fellow undrafted rookies Arthur Kaluma, RJ Davis, and Erix Dixon.