Getty
The Los Angeles Lakers added former Belmont guard Grayson Murphy (left) to the team’s summer league roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been unable to add any star power via NBA free agency, but the team’s summer league roster has plenty of promise. Ahead of the California Classic and the Las Vegas NBA 2K25 Summer League, the Lakers dropped their roster which includes new addition guard Grayson Murphy. Here’s a look at the full roster below.
The former Belmont guard spent last season playing in Germany for Dresden. The 6-foot-2 guard hit 43.4% of his three-point attempts while averaging 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game in 23 appearances.
It is a small sample size, but Murphy also had a solid collegiate career at Belmont. After five seasons at Belmont, Murphy was not selected in the 2022 NBA draft.
Murphy’s best Belmont season came in 2020-21 when the guard averaged 10.9 points, 8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 35.7% from long range.
Murphy will be facing an uphill battle to make the Lakers final roster, but his shooting makes the guard a player for fans to keep an eye on this summer. The Lakers additional undrafted free agent signings included former NC State standout big man Mohamed Diarra, Missouri guard Sean East and Pitt forward Blake Hinson.
Bronny James & Dalton Knecht Are on the Lakers Summer League Roster
Murphy will join a talented Lakers summer league roster which is highlighted by the team’s draft picks in Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. All eyes are on Knecht who was widely projected to be a top-10 draft pick.
Knecht shot 39.7% from long range in his lone season at Tennessee. The Lakers first-round pick reacted to the viral video of LeBron James’ praising Knecht during last season.
“Yeah, I remember that clip,” Knecht told reporters on June 26, 2024. “I woke up and rolled out of bed and I thought it was fake because tons of people were texting me. I was just like, there’s no way.
“When I watched that video, it just brought a smile to my face, and also my parents. They called me right away and told me about it. It’s going to be special and it’s going to be fun just to be sharing the court with both of them, AD [Anthony Davis] and LeBron. LeBron is one of the greatest. So it’s going to be real special.”
What Is the Lakers’ Plan in NBA Free Agency?
The Lakers had been linked to a number of top NBA free agents, including Klay Thompson before the former All-Star joined the Dallas Mavericks. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Los Angeles has now turned their attention to DeMar DeRozan, but the Heat are viewed as the favorites to land the star guard.
With James re-signing, adding another star like DeRozan became more complicated thanks to the salary cap. Los Angeles may need to orchestrate a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls to make it work.
“It hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The Lakers aggressively pursued Klay Thompson, but Thompson turned down their offer of more years and money from the Lakers to join the Dallas Mavericks, according to league sources,” Buha wrote in a July 3 story titled, “Lakers tout Bronny James and their future while standing pat in the present.”
“They’ve now turned their attention to DeMar DeRozan, though the Miami Heat are currently viewed as slight favorites to land the 15-year veteran and six-time All-Star, according to league sources.”
Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
