Los Angeles Lakers fans will have to wait until October to see Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the primary contributors on the roster take the court, but they will get a glimpse at some of the younger players on the team in Summer League this month.

League Status Update on 2025 NBA Draft Pick originally appeared on Athlon Sports. While the 2025 NBA Draft took place last week, teams will get a couple of weeks for their prospects to prepare for the upcoming Summer League that takes place from July 10- July 20.

On Wednesday, the Lakers held their first practice of the year for their Summer League squad before officially announcing the roster. The team is highlighted by Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, both playing Summer League for the second straight year,

Shortly after picking up his player option for next season, James' agent, Rich Paul, not-so-subtly hinted his client would be monitoring what the Lakers to do while attempting to build a long-term contender. That could mean nothing more happens this summer ... or something else.

James eventually decided to pick up his $52.7 million option for 2025-26, but his agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania that James was looking to win now — and, by extension, the language of Paul's quote seemed to indicate the four-time league champ could strive to navigate a trade out of town.

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the most stunning trades in recent NBA history by acquiring Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline this past season. In doing so, they began shifting away from LeBron James as their centerpiece star.

The Lakers went into the offseason knowing they needed to add to their core of LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Early in free agency, they've had to subtract a player instead.

The Los Angeles Lakers are still in pursuit of a center. Since trading Anthony Davis, they have been searching for a center that can help protect the rim and play decent offense. Jaxson Hayes was the person who had to step into that role as the starting center,