The Lakers head to Sin City to participate in the Las Vegas Summer League starting Friday vs. the Toronto Raptors. Their summer league squad consists of 15 players, five with NBA experience, headlined by guard Kendall Marshall and lottery pick Julius Randle. Below, we give you a look at each player on the roster.
Rodrigue Beaubois | Guard | 6-1, 183
Originally a first-round selection (25th overall) of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2009 NBA Draft, Beaubois was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night. The native from France tested particularly well at the NBA Draft Combine, boasting a wingspan of 6 feet, 9.75 inches (second among all point guards) and a 39-inch max vertical leap (second among all guards). Of the highlights during his first year in the league, Beaubois became the first rookie in the NBA to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from the three-point line and 80 percent from the free-throw line. The following three seasons, though, the 6-foot-2 guard was hampered by a number of injuries: he broke his left foot twice (both instances he underwent surgery), sprained his left foot and fractured his left hand (subsequently underwent surgery). Beaubois most recently finished playing with Spirou Charleroi of the Belgian League and recently signed with Le Mans Sarthe in France. He has appeared in a total of 182 games during his NBA career (54 starts) towards averages of 7.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds.
Coach's Take:
"He's an excellent point guard. He reads the floor very well. He's good in the open court, fastbreak, transition situations. He just knows how to play the game. He's like an experienced veteran and can play the one and the two."
Jordan Clarkson | Guard | 6-5, 194
The Missouri product was selected by the Washington Wizards (46th overall) and subsequently acquired by the Lakers in exchange for cash considerations on draft night. During his only season as a Tiger, he averaged 17.5 points (second on the team), 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists, and was named to the All-SEC Second Team. The 6-foot-5 guard played his first two seasons at Tulsa, where he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team his freshman year and All-Conference USA First Team as a sophomore. At the NBA Draft Combine, Clarkson finished in the top 10 among prospects during the testing portion in lane agility time (10.76 seconds, third), standing vertical jump (33.0 inches, seventh) and max vertical jump (38.5 inches, 10th). As a high school senior at Karen Wagner High School in Texas, Clarkson was named the San Antonio High School Player of the Year and also helped lead his varsity team to a combined 105-14 record in three seasons.
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Coach's Take:
"He has a lot of potential. He can be valuable at the one and two. He has some power and a nice motor. He can penetrate very well and can take advantage of undersized guards on the block. He's smart and he'll grow a lot and be very solid in the league, I believe."
Xavier Gibson | Center | 6-11, 229
A four-year player from Florida State, Gibson finished his collegiate career as a member of the winningest senior class in school history (95 overall wins) and as one of three players in program history who played in four NCAA Tournaments. Gibson ranks 12th in school history with 100 blocked shots and is tied for eighth overall in games played (124). He previously played in the 2012 NBA Summer League with the Milwaukee Bucks and 2013 NBA Summer League with the Sacramento Kings. Gibson has also played overseas for Panelefsiniakos (Greece), Antalya (Turkey) and the Shinshu Brave Warriors (Japan).
Coach's Take:
"He's smart and understands spacing. He has a nice touch to his shot, he can pick and pop and understands the game pretty well. He could play the stretch four, he could play a pick and pop five. You can definitely use him to stretch out defenses. He's solid defensively and has a nice size to him and is smart enough not to do things out of his realm."
Anthony Ireland | Guard | 5-10, 194
Ireland appeared in every game (132 overall) during his four-year career at Loyola Marymount (LMU) and was named First Team All-WCC during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, making him the third player in program history to win First Team honors three times. The 5-foot-10 guard is the only player in LMU history to accrue at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 150 steals during his career. Hailing from Waterbury, Conn., Ireland led Crosby High School to a 70-7 record in three seasons, plus back-to-back trips to the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) State Finals and a state title as a junior. During his senior season, he averaged 29.2 points, while leading his squad to a second place finish in the state playoffs.
Coach's Take:
"With his size, he's been able to represent himself in a way no one's been able to really exploit his size as being a weakness. There's a lot that I think he's learning from this experience. He has a good head on his shoulders. Some more experience will turn him into a better player. He's quick when he wants to be and definitely chooses the time to explode and not. He's not just going 100 miles per hour all day long, but he has that kind of speed."
Jerome Jordan | Center | 7-1, 220
A former second-round selection of the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (44th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Jordan has played in 21 career NBA games. The native of Jamaica has spent a good portion of his professional career overseas – in Serbia with Hemofarm, in Slovenia with Krka, in the Philippines with Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters and most recently in Italy with Virtus Bologna – and playing in the NBA D-League with the Erie Bayhawks, Reno Bighorns and Los Angeles D-Fenders. Jordan currently owns the Conference USA record for blocked shots with 333 and was a three-time Conference USA All-Defensive Team selection while playing at Tulsa. He led Jamaica to a gold medal at the FIBA CBC (Caribbean Basketball Confederation) Championship in 2006.
Coach's Take:
"Jerome Jordan has shown he can pick and pop and knock down the mid-range jumper. We already knew he can finish around the rim. I think he plays his man well previous to passes into the block. With him and Gibson, those are two bigs that can shoot for sure and pop out on the perimeter and open up defenses, and that's very valuable in the game today."
DeAndre Kane | Guard | 6-4, 200
Kane finished his collegiate career at Iowa State after three seasons at Marshall where he was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year (2011) and was a two-time Second Team All-Conference USA selection (2012-13). During his lone season as a Cyclone, Kane was named First Team All-Big 12 and was one of two players nationally to average at least 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. The 6-foot-4 guard is the only player in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 700 rebounds and 600 assists. At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Kane finished in the top 10 in lane agility time (10.95 seconds, 10th), shuttle run (2.85 seconds, tied fourth) and three quarter sprint (3.16 seconds, fourth). Kane was a former teammate of current NBA player DeJuan Blair at Pittsburgh’s Schenley High School.
Coach's Take:
"Kane is a sparkplug and he's a tough guard. He has nice strength to him. He's just solid and can definitely overpower one's and two's and some three's. He can also play multiple positions. We like him on the wing. He's got the grit and toughness to add to a team."
Kendall Marshall | Guard | 6-4, 195
Marshall was signed by the Lakers in December 2013, in part due to injuries to every point guard on the roster, after a stint in the NBA D-League with the Delaware 87ers. Prior, he had been traded to Washington from Phoenix and then waived before the start of the season. The 6-foot-4 guard played two seasons at North Carolina under Roy Williams before declaring for the NBA Draft. As a sophomore, he set the all time UNC assist record of 351 and also established the all-time ACC record in assists in a single season with 311. As such, he was the winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy award, given annually to the top men’s collegiate point guard. In 54 games with the Lakers during the 2013-14 season, Marshall averaged 8.0 points and 8.8 assists (second in the league behind Chris Paul’s 10.7).
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Coach's Take:
"We've seen him all year long. He's pretty consistent in what he does. He's a pick-and-roll player, he can do things in transition that are impressive. We've talked to him about things (for improvement) all season long and it just carries over to the summer. He comes to the gym very early in the morning and he works on his game. He's been committed to that all summer, so his preparation has been pretty good."
Trevor Mbakwe | Forward | 6-10, 244
Undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, Mbakwe was a standout at the University of Minnesota for three seasons under Tubby Smith. As a junior, Mbakwe averaged 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds (led the Big 10 Conference), making him the first Gopher player to average a double-double since Kris Humphries in the 2003-04 season (22.1 points, 10.0 rebounds). His 327 total rebounds were the third-most in a single season at Minnesota. Mbakwe was also a two-time Second Team All-Big Team selection by the media (2011, 2013) and a Third Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches (2013). He played with Virtus Roma (Italy) for the 2013-14 campaign and has signed with Brose Baskets (Germany) for the 2014-15 season.
Coach's Take:
"He's smart and very aware. He's the type of player who does things before the coach asks him to do it. He stays ahead of the eight ball. He's very skilled and very consistent mid-range shooter. He's athletic and very active defensively."
Kevin Murphy | Guard | 6-6, 185
The Utah Jazz selected Murphy out of Tennessee Tech in the second round (47th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft. He played just 17 games with the Jazz during his rookie season as he split time with the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League. In the summer of 2013, Murphy was part of a three-team trade that sent him and Andre Iguodala to the Golden State Warriors. He most recently played with the Idaho Stampede after spending four months overseas with Strasbourg IG (France). He ranked second in the NBA D-League at 25.5 points per game in 2013-14, which included a 51-point performance vs. the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Feb. 1.
Coach's Take:
"He's an experienced player, shooter and scorer. We like him on the wing as a two or three, although with his body type, he's firm enough to play against some four's for limited minutes. He's a skilled wing player."
Julius Randle | Forward | 6-9, 249
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft starred at Kentucky during his lone season in college, averaging 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while leading the Wildcats to the NCAA championship game. His 24 double-doubles on the year was second most by a UK player in school history and the most double-doubles by a UK freshman. As a senior at Prestonwood Christian High School in Texas, Randle put up 32.5 points and 22.5 rebounds per game, while guiding his team to a state title – its third championship in the four years he played.
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Coach's Take:
"Julius Randle hasn't been able to participate too much. He has been in some 5-on-0 drills we've done and he looks sharp. He looks athletic and he moves very well for a big, or any player his size. I think he can shoot better than what people believe or have seen."
LaQuinton Ross | Forward | 6-8, 220
Ross was one of 75 early entrants for the 2014 NBA Draft, as the Ohio State product decided to forgo his senior season as a Buckeye. As a junior, Ross averaged 15.2 points per game and was named to the Third Team All-Big 10 Team. One of the highlights of his college career came during the 2013 NCAA Tournament when he hit the game-winning three-pointer against Arizona to put the Buckeyes in the Elite Eight.
Coach's Take:
"He's more of a slasher, but he will shoot from distance. We're still observing him on the court. He comes from a good program and played at a high level."
Roscoe Smith | Forward | 6-8, 215
Smith played two seasons at the University of Connecticut under Jim Calhoun before transferring to UNLV for his junior year in 2013-14. As a freshman, he played in all 41 games as a Husky and was part of a squad – led by current NBA point guard Kemba Walker – that won the NCAA national championship. In his lone season as a Runnin’ Rebel, Smith led the Mountain West Conference in rebounding at 10.9 per game (also ranked fifth in the nation).
Coach's Take:
"Roscoe has the most energy out of a lot of players. He's very vocal on the court and he has an extraordinary presence on the defensive end. He's another player who is always hungry to buy in, and that's always appreciated by coaches."
Trey Thompkins | Forward | 6-10, 244
The Los Angeles Clippers drafted Thompkins in the second round (37th overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft after three seasons at Georgia. As a freshman, Thompson was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and led the Bulldogs in rebounding (7.4), the highest total for a Georgia freshman in 11 years. During his junior year, he became the 40th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. In 2009, Thompkins became involved with USA basketball activities and was the second leading scorer on the U-19 team, which went 9-0 and captured the gold medal. The Atlanta Hawks drafted his dad, Howard Thompkins Jr., in 1981.
Coach's Take:
"Trey Thompkins is nice and active. He's a big that can play the four and five, he can shoot and is vocal. We like his effort and energy."
Scott Wood | Forward | 6-6, 169
Wood finished his collegiate career as the most prolific three-point shooter at North Carolina State with 334 three-pointers made. He also ranks 18th in school history in career points (1,467) and also holds the school record for games started in a career (136). As a junior, Wood set the ACC record for consecutive free throws made with 66, surpassing Duke’s J.J. Redick’s mark of 54. Wood has previously played for the Los Angeles Clippers summer league squad and overseas with UCAM Murcia in Spain.
Coach's Take:
"He's a shooter. One of the smartest players on the team and has a nice understanding of the game. He's another player from off the court instruction to on the court instruction, that transition is very quick with him."
Renaldo Woolridge | Forward | 6-9, 220
For the second straight summer, Woolridge is on the Lakers summer league squad roster. Son of the late NBA player and former Los Angeles Laker Orlando Woolridge, Renaldo attended Harvard-Westlake before playing at the University of Tennessee and then finally at USC. Woolridge most recently was with Metalac Valijevo of Serbia and Bilbao Basket in Spain. In addition to his professional basketball career, Woolridge is a hip-hop artist/writer/producer who performs under the moniker “SB Babyy.”
Coach's Take:
"I have yet to see him. He's had some issues getting clearance from overseas so it's been against the rules for him to get on the court. It looks like he's been working out and I saw him shoot and it looks like he's been shooting the ball well."