The Lakers have brought aboard a local product for training camp, as the team announced on Thursday that it has signed USC point guard Julian Jacobs.
The 21-year-old joins the Lakers after leading the Trojans to a 21-13 record and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2011. He also led the Pac-12 in assists (5.4) after ranking among the conference’s top 10 in both his freshman and sophomore years.
Solid on the defensive end as well, he ranked ninth in the conference in steals (1.2) and his finest performance was a two-way clinic, as he piled up 18 points, nine assists and seven steals to power USC to a 103-101 upset over No. 7 Arizona on Jan. 9.
The Las Vegas native was later named First Team All-Pac-12 and elected to forgo his senior year, but went undrafted.
At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Jacobs has the tools to be dangerous at the next level, especially considering his trademark athleticism that has led to quite a few highlight slams at nearby Galen Center.
However, competing with NBA talent will likely require a refined shot, as his 32.6 3-point percentage does not promise much in terms of floor-spacing.
Despite going undrafted, Jacobs played for Indiana at the Orlando Summer League, where he averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes of four games. He shot 7-of-16 during the week, which included a pair of end-of-quarter buzzer-beaters.
A month later, Jacobs was invited to the Lakers’ free agent minicamp on Aug. 17, and he showed enough to warrant a further look at training camp, which will begin toward the end of September.
With the addition of Jacobs, the Lakers have 18 members on their roster, including point guards D’Angelo Russell, Marcelo Huertas and Jose Calderon.