Lakers Sign Eric Dixon, Arthur Kaluma, RJ Davis, and Augustus Marciulionis to Exhibit-10 Deals!

Lakers Sign Eric Dixon, Arthur Kaluma, RJ Davis, and Augustus Marciulionis to Exhibit-10 Deals!

[Music] All right, we got some Lakers signing news with the Lakers having officially signed all four of Arthur Kuma, RJ Davis, Augustus Marcelonus, and Eric Dixon. No, not signing them to their 15-man roster or to a two-way contract, but to exhibit 10 deals, which pretty much, if you don’t know, means a training camp contract. And every year we kind of get the confusion about the exhibit 10 contract, meaning fans not really sure what that means and really confused about the exhibit 10 signings they make to their team, if they’re actually on the team or if they’re not on the team. And you know, to kind of summarize it, no, at least not yet. I mean, they’re officially on the team’s payroll with an exhibit 10 contract guaranteeing them, I think, 50,000 if they remain with the team throughout training camp and then sign or stay with their G- League team thereafter. I think that’s the official amount they get. Then therefore, they’re kind of on the team’s payroll, but they’re not on the team’s actual roster. At this point, they’re just under a training camp deal. And if you’re also not aware, every team throughout training camp can carry 20 total players. Actually, 21, I guess, now with the additional two-way contract. So, they can be with the team throughout training camp preseason and maybe impress the team to therefore be elevated to the 15-man roster or potentially to a two-way contract. And following the Lakers having waved Trey Gson also not signing Eric Dixon, they do have a two-way contract to offer. So in my opinion, this is going to be a really good competition between the four of Kuma, Davis, Marshalonus, and Eric Dixon. I mean, for me personally, I really like when the Lakers or any team for the fact carry an open two-way contract throughout training camp. It really gives the training camp guys something to play for and really something to work up to knowing they actually have an opportunity to make the team. That they’re not just playing with the team to try to, I guess, impress a different team and make a different team. They actually have a pathway to get on the team, get officially on the payroll, make some real money in the NBA and potentially do enough to eventually be elevated to the 15-man roster. And like I said, they do have a two-way contract open. It could and likely will go to one of these four if they impress them or maybe to a different player if they don’t impress them. But I love the competition here and we’re going to talk about them one by one. Talk about what they did or if they played with the Lakers summer league team, what they did throughout college, their skill set, and which of them might be the best fit for that two-way contract if they play up to it. So, we’re going to talk about that and try to break it all down here. And beginning with Eric Dixon, you know, no official update on his injury status or current health status, but given the fact they gave him an exhibit 10 contract and he will be playing with them throughout training camp, I think that’s a positive update in itself, meaning that he’s at least healthy enough to be back on the court or likely will be during training camp. He does have another roughly 2 months before that point. though does have some time to get healthy, does have time to rehab and maybe get back up to that two-way contract status that he almost got with their team. And well, if you don’t know about Eric Dixon, he is a 6’8, roughly 260 lb power forward center hybrid, playing 5 years at Villanova University, being their all-time leading scorer. And that’s very impressive for a college like Villanova, having some very great players coming out of that college. I don’t know, maybe you’ve heard about Jaylen Brunson, Male Bridges, Josh Hart, Dante Devenenzo, much more after that, but just a few that you might know, and Eric Dixon did outscore them and have a better collegiate career than arguably all four of them. However, the NBA will definitely be a much harder task for him. Unlike college, where he was really suited for it and had an offense kind of designed and pretty much built around him, that won’t be the same case for the NBA. now entering the NBA as a 6’8 power forward and kind of a center. You know, in my opinion, his current build and current skill set projects more as a center rather than a power forward. I mean, unlike in college where he could pretty much not move that much and not defend the perimeter that much or have to switch that much, he definitely will have to at the NBA level. And with him being a bit limited in regard to athletic ability, you know, not too bad as a vertical athlete. I think he measured at a near 34 in vertical at the draft combine. So that’s actually not too bad and actually pretty good even for a power forward. But in regard to lateral mobility, this is where he really struggles. Isn’t very mobile on the perimeter. Isn’t very good at moving his feet and switching on guards or even wings for that fact. So he definitely will have to adapt and get used to it pretty quickly or he might find himself out of the NBA pretty quickly. So that’s definitely priority number one for him. Improving in regard to ladder mobility, proving that he can guard the perimeter at the NBA level. at least hold his own and be around average and simply high defense liability. That’s what he’s got to show first and foremost. Though, if we’re talking about the other parts of his game, I think it will translate pretty darn well for him. I mean, again, the guy was an all-time leading score at his college and a very good one at Villainova. Really showing some great true three-level scoring ability, shooting roughly 41% from the three-point line last season while taking a high volume of over seven of them per game. And again, we’re talking about a 6’8, 260lb player here. So, that’s pretty uncommon even in today’s modern game of three-point shooting and high volume three-point shooting. That’s pretty impressive. Or then even for his mid-range and inside the three-point line ability, very good in that regard. Is a very good low post scoring threat. Can do everything from shoot fadeaways, left hooks, right hooks, power and body weight to the rim. really overpowers smaller players and even guys that are taller than him that can’t quite match his physicality. Eric Dixon’s pretty good at that, too. And overall here with Eric Dixon, they definitely liked him and they showed that by initially offering him a two-way contract, now inviting him back to training camp, and I would probably put him as the leader for that two-way contract. You know, between what he showed in college, how NBA ready he is offensively, his developed frame, and really NBA ready body, just the fact that he does have to show the liability on defense. I would probably call him the favorite. Maybe not the best fit for what their two-way contracts don’t cover at this point or what they don’t have on their 15-man roster. That in my opinion being a three and D wing, but he definitely has the most NBA ready offensive game and probably is the most NBA ready in general for that two-way contract. But after Eric Dixon, we have another 5-year college player with R.J. Davis. definitely had a very good collegiate career himself coming out of the University of North Carolina UNCC having a great five-year collegiate career there having some great moments in March Madness and one of my favorite college players of the past half decade and he actually did play with their team throughout summer league didn’t play that much but he’d have some good moments their team throughout the seven games that he played and appeared in RJ Davis put up 6.1 points per game 2.6 and six assists per game, nearly one steal per game, shooting an underwhelming 38% from the field and an underwhelming 23.8% from three. Though, if you look to what he did throughout college and when he had a lot more opportunity on offense, and really on both ends of the court, R.J. Davis did put up 17 points per game, three rebounds per game, nearly four assists per game, shooting 41% from the field and 35.3% from three. Being one of the best at creating his own shot at the D1 level during the 2023 24 collegiate season did lead the entire D1 level in points per game. So, definitely does have ability. You know, the primary concern with him is probably his height, unlike Eric Dixon is not a terrible athlete and actually is a pretty pesky point of attack defender, but when coming from college to the NBA, definitely an athletic ability jump and also a height and length jump too, which for his 6′ and roughly 180 lb frame, that might be a bit much for him to handle. Definitely hoping for him to overcome it, but it will be difficult for him to switch on defense. He might be targeted on defense through switching. And if he can’t really show that he can overcome that, overcome his major height disadvantage, then he probably won’t get the two-way contract. That’s the primary thing for him. Like I said, got to prove that he can overcome the height much like a guy like Chris Paul has done. So definitely a pretty tall task for him, but I’m definitely rooting for him and he definitely does have the background and a whole lot of good collegiate things to point to that might be able to translate to the NBA level. But apart from R.J. Davis and Eric Dixon, two guys that most are more familiar with and definitely are more wellknown throughout college. Most people probably have not heard of or have not heard much about both Arthur Kuma and Agus Marcelonus. And beginning with Marcelonus, the son of a European basketball legend, that being Serunis Marcelonus. Pretty sure I pronounced that right, but if you’re a crafty player in general and a guy that even played in the NBA himself, now his son will try his chance at the NBA. Coming out of St. Mary’s College and spending all four years there. Marconus was a heavy pick and roll operator and really one of the few true point guards coming out of college this year. You know, he definitely operated their offense well and had plenty of experience and plenty of time doing it with them. Last season, averaging roughly six assists per game to only about two turnovers per game. One of the few at the college level that had a near three assists to turnover ratio. Is a very good ball handler. Is a very good point guard and floor general. Does have some good vision. does have some good height for a point guard being roughly 6’4. Not sure about his wingspan, but does have some good height, does have a good build that should translate well to the NBA and overall does have a pretty good two-way game if he can keep it up and if it can translate to the NBA level. Now, unfortunately, you might not know him because he didn’t play for their summer league team. Really, no word on that and I couldn’t find if he had an injury. if I find one and I’ll update in the video if I do. I’m not sure if he did, but he will be joining their training camp team and might have an opportunity for that two-way contract. I mean, I know I said that they didn’t really add a 3 and wing to their team via two-way contract, but I guess they also don’t really have a two-point guard. Adding Chris Mannon, who’s kind of a guard, more so pretty much a defense-minded player in general, and that’s kind of his bread and butter. Also having Christian Koko, who is a center, so neither having really a 3D wing or a point guard. So maybe there could be a pathway for Agus’s marshaloness if he can show out during training camp, if he can show out during preseason, showing that he can defend at the NBA level, can continue his playmaking and point guard ability at the NBA level, and improve or at least maintain his three-point shooting where he is roughly a 35% college three-point shooter. Not great, but not terrible. If he can do all of that, then maybe he might break through and get that two-way contract. Despite definitely not being the favorite for it, despite not being the most well-known player they signed to an exhibit 10 contract and a guy that didn’t play for their summer league team, I definitely wouldn’t count out Marcelonus and I do like his game too. So definitely rooting for him. But then finally finishing up with Arthur Kuma, a guy I’ve talked about here on the channel. Another guy that did play for their summer league team and maybe a guy you might be aware about either from the video I made and you watch that if you did I appreciate it or simply from watching their summer league team very very closely as he didn’t really get that much playing time. Overall he played four games with their summer league team averaging only about 12 minutes per game in that time frame putting up roughly 4 and 1/2 points per game two rebounds per game half a block per game shooting roughly 43% for the field and 33.3% from three. Not terrible, not great. Had one really good summer league performance that during the Las Vegas summer league portion. I forget their opponent. It might have been against the New Orleans Pelicans, but I know he put up 12 points, knocked down a couple three-point shots, and had a couple blocks while doing it. In my opinion, he was actually one of the quiet standouts their summer league team purely from that game and purely what he offers in regard to skill set. Like I keep mentioning, they don’t have a 3D wing, neither on their 15-man roster or through their two-way contracts. And that is what Arthur Kuma is. He showed it throughout college having a five-year college career and pretty much no matter where he went, that’s what he offered. 3D ability. You know, at times not the best three-point shooter. And his best year was only last season shooting 35.9%. But with showing improvement every single year throughout college, going from a sub 30% shooter to then around 30%, eventually climbing over 35%, he is showing improvement and has drastically improved his shooting form and shooting motion throughout college, too. So, between that then the athletic ability and the defensive ability that comes with him, I think he definitely could be a 3 and D or simply a two-way player at the NBA level. With the defense, he is switchable enough to defend and guard one through four. does have a great build to him. Having a 6’7 frame, having a 7 foot one wingspan, weighing roughly 220 pounds, so definitely can both physically match up in the NBA. The athletic abilities translate is a good athlete both in regard to vertical and side to side movement. So definitely don’t count out Arthur Kuma here. again, he didn’t get much opportunity for their summer league team. But if they’re kind of watching him closely throughout training camp, if he gets an opportunity with their preseason team, then I wouldn’t be shocked to see him eventually get that two-way contract. And I’m actually kind of quietly hoping for it, too. Again, simply by need and simply with the skill set that he does offer that they really don’t have on their team right now. But with all of that being said, what do you guys think? How do you feel about the Lakers signing Arthur Kuma, RJ Davis, Eric Dixon, and Augustus Marcelonus to an exhibit 10 contract, therefore inviting them to training camp, giving them the competition to compete for their available two-way contract? And who do you think will eventually become the winner and get that two-way contract? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below. But I think that’ll pretty much do it for this one. And if you enjoyed the video, then I would greatly appreciate it if you dropped a like, subscribe to the channel if you have not already, and hit that notification bell to never miss out when I upload a video. But as always, thank you for watching and have a great day or night. [Music]

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