The Los Angeles Lakers are going to participate in the new California Class summer league in July.
The Los Angeles Lakers were dominant in the Las Vegas Summer League last year. The Lakers took home the championship, as the young core that showcased their talents in the regular season got started in Las Vegas.
Point guard Lonzo Ball was named MVP of the Las Vegas Summer League. Kyle Kuzma took home the MVP award for the championship game when the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-98.
Los Angeles will look to defend their championship in Las Vegas later this offseason in the biggest summer league in NBA history. All 30 teams will be participating, the first time every franchise in the league will be taking part.
However, before defending their title in Las Vegas, the Lakers will be staying home in California. The NBA announced that there will be a new summer league, the California Class, to be held in Sacramento, California.
The Lakers will be taking part in the new California Classic along with the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.
The event will take place the first week of July from July 2nd-5th. It will be a round robin schedule, as each team will face off against each other once. July 4th will be a day off for each team.
Before their annual trip to @NBASummerLeague in Las Vegas the #LakeShow will matchup with the Kings, Warriors & Heat in the inaugural California Classic: https://t.co/4adS0TqO2s pic.twitter.com/USIzHlGJxO
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 14, 2018
The California Classic will be replacing the Orland Summer League. In addition, the summer league in Utah will still happen along with the Las Vegas hosted one.
Adding another summer league is an excellent idea for the league. Fans want to see their young players on the court as soon as possible. Instead of waiting until preseason games begin in September, they are able to see them on the court just days after they are drafted by their new teams.
This will be the first chance that Lakers fans have to see their newest players in action. The Lakers own the No. 25 and No. 47 overall picks in the 2018 NBA Draft, so both of those players are likely to participate.
Some of the players that fans were excited to see last year will not be participating this year. It was announced that Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma both won’t participate this year. Brandon Ingram is unlikely to play as he enters his third season in the NBA.
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There is a chance, however, that we see Josh Hart, Thomas Bryant and Alex Caruso take part. Seeing other members of the Lakers G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, would not be surprising either.