Augustas Marciulionis

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Warriors, Marciulionis, Booker, Dwyer

The Warriors haven’t given up hope of trading for LeBron James and teaming him with Stephen Curry, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required). Sources tell Fischer that Golden State has reached out to the Lakers on multiple occasions over the past 18 months to work out a deal, but has come up empty.

James and Curry played together at the Paris Olympics last August, combining their talents to capture a gold medal for Team USA. Coach Steve Kerr was in charge of that team, and the Warriors would like to create that same dynamic in the NBA.

Even though there are persistent rumors that James might be headed elsewhere after picking up his $52.6MM player option in June, Fischer points out that it would be tough for Golden State to put together a trade proposal that matches salaries without tearing apart the core of the roster. He adds that also holds true if Giannis Antetokounmpo were to ask out of Milwaukee.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Augustas Marciulionis chose the Lakers over the Bucks for his first NBA opportunity, according to BasketNews. The son of former NBA player Sarunas Marciulionis signed an Exhibit 10 contract in July and will be in L.A.’s training camp next month. “The attention was similar from both teams,” he said. “But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted. We understood the situation better there. For some reason, L.A. 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.” The 23-year-old point guard, who played at St. Mary’s, was dealing with a broken foot during the pre-draft process.
  • Devin Booker is expected to carry more of the Suns‘ offensive load with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal gone, so Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic examines whether he can average 30 points per game. Booker scored 25.6 PPG last season with uncharacteristically low shooting numbers, so Rankin believes 30 PPG is well within reach if he takes at least 20 shots per night, goes to the free throw line more often, improves his three-point efficiency and gets more easy baskets in new head coach Jordan Ott‘s offense.
  • In a separate story, Rankin states that trust was behind Ott’s decision to hire Sean Dwyer as an assistant coach after they worked together at Michigan State.

Lakers Sign Four Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts

The Lakers have added four players to their offseason roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that guards RJ Davis and Augustas Marciulionis and forwards Eric Dixon and Arthur Kaluma have officially signed with the club. All four players received Exhibit 10 contracts, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

All four of these players are undrafted rookies who reached agreements to join the Lakers shortly after the draft wrapped up in June, so none of the signings come as a surprise. However, it’s worth noting that reporting last month suggested that Dixon would get a two-way contract — instead, he has joined the team on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Dixon was the top prospect on ESPN’s big board who went undrafted having been ranked 44th overall prior to the draft. The 6’8″ lefty led all Division I players in scoring in 2024/25, putting up 23.3 points per game on .451/.407/.813 shooting splits in 35 appearances for Villanova (34.8 MPG). He also chipped in 5.1 rebounds per contest en route to third-team All-American honors.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), Dixon didn’t play for the Lakers’ Summer League team due to a foot injury — that may also be the reason why he ultimately signed an Exhibit 10 contract instead of a two-way deal. Since Exhibit 10s can be converted to two-way contracts before the start of the regular season, it remains possible that Dixon will get a promotion at some point.

Davis, a six-foot guard who earned ACC Player of the Year honors for the 2023/24 season, averaged 17.2 points and 3.6 assists per game for North Carolina as a super-senior in ’24/25.

A two-time WCC Player of the Year, Marciulionis averaged 14.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 4.1 APG in 35 outings last season for Saint Mary’s. The 6’4″ Lithuanian guard posted shooting splits of .446/.347/.793.

Kaluma, a 6’7″ wing, registered averages of 12.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 1.8 APG during his final NCAA season for Texas, with a shooting line of .462/.359/.784. Prior to his Longhorns stint, Kaluma also suited up for Creighton and Texas State.

Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed but include bonuses worth up to $85,300 if the player is waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Lakers Adding Arthur Kaluma, Augustas Marciulionis Via E10 Deals

The Lakers are set to audition several new players via Exhibit 10 training camp deals. After agreeing to an E10 contract with former five-year North Carolina guard RJ Davis, Los Angeles is also bringing in two additional undrafted free agents on similar agreements.

Former Texas forward Arthur Kaluma and ex-Saint Mary’s guard Augustas Marciulionis have agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with the Lakers, sources tell Dan Woike of The Athletic and Jonathan Givony of ESPN, respectively (Twitter links).

Kaluma, a 6’7″ wing, registered averages of 12.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 1.8 APG during his final NCAA season, with a shooting line of .462/.359/.784. Prior to his Longhorns stint, Kaluma also suited up for Creighton and Texas State.

A two-time WCC Player of the Year, the 6’4″ Marciulionis averaged 14.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 4.1 APG in 35 outings last season. He posted shooting splits of .446/.347/.793. Marciulionis missed pre-draft workouts while recuperating from a foot injury, but is expected to be healthy next month, Givony notes.

Exhibit 10 agreements are non-guaranteed, but can be converted into two-way deals if players impress their clubs. Should Kaluma or Marciulionis be waived and spend up to 60 days on the Lakers’ G League affiliate in El Segundo, the South Bay Lakers, they could earn bonuses worth up to $85K.