Arthur Kaluma makes his way to the league

Every season, the NBA Summer League is full of hopefuls looking to make their dreams come true. One of those hopes this year was Arthur Kaluma who spent the summer league with the Los Angeles Lakers and currently playing with theirs G League branch in the South Bay.

Next up is the summer league Arthur Kaluma signed the contract on Exhibit 10 with Lakers, but he was cut before training camp and finished the 2025-26 season with South Bay in the G League.

His combination of size and skill is intriguing in terms of how he could project as an NBA player. He has the size of a forward but has speed and quickness on the wing. And he’s able to step out and shoot consistently from the 3-point line.

During his summer stint with the Lakers, Kaluma received feedback on what he needs to work on to make staying in the NBA a realistic goal for him.

“I’m just a lockdown defender. You have to be able to guard one through five,” Kaluma said after a recent South Bay game. “And being able to knock down open shots, that’s really important.”

Those were the aspects of Caluma’s game where he could make an impact in South Bay. Kaluma has come off the bench in the G League for most of the season, especially amid a shuffled roster with two-way plays and assignments. But when he was on the court, he showed the ability to effectively guard multiple positions while consistently knocking down outside shots.

Kaluma’s 3-point shooting improved each season in college. During his first year at Creighton in 2021-22, he shot 26.5 percent. By the time of his senior year at Texas in 2024-25, he was up to a career-high 35.9 percent from 3-point range.

During summer league with the Lakers, he shot 40 percent from deep in Las Vegas. And in 18 games this year with South Bay, he shot 47.9 percent, the best 3-point percentage for him at any level. Alongside playmakers such as RJ Davis, Kobe Bufkin and Augustas Marciulionus, he took advantage of the catch-and-shoot opportunities presented to him.

“I feel like it’s built up over the years. I’ve always worked on my shot since I started playing basketball. I feel like I’ve just started getting into a rhythm recently,” Kaluma said. “At the end of the day, this is the game I’ve been playing since I was seven years old. You’re going to make shots, you’re going to miss shots. It’s just what you have to do with the next one.”

On the defensive end of the court, it’s not unusual to see Kaluma pick off guards and ball handlers on the perimeter, and switch off to defend big players in the paint. His strength allows him to pile up players on the bench and his speed allows him to cover the wings.

Can rebound and act as a shot blocker at the rim. A lot of that versatility comes from playing multiple positions while in college. During his time in the South Bay, and returning to summer league, he played wing. But in college he spent time playing in the frontcourt. He prides himself on being able to impact the game defensively in multiple ways.

“I’m just a dog, trying to disrupt the floor. God gave me the intangibles that I have,” Kaluma said. “I have a 7-1 wingspan, I’m 6-8, I can move my feet, so I just use that to the best of my ability.

Kaluma averaged 12.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18 games in the G League. He is shooting 55.9 percent from the field in addition to his 47.9 percent three-point shooting. He is also making 73.3 percent of his free throw attempts.

The goal for most G League players is to make it to the NBA, and that’s no different for Kaluma. He knows that embracing the 3&D archetype is the key to receiving the calling you desire.

“I was trying to fit that 3&D mold that was so successful at the NBA level,” Kaluma said. “I’ve been trying to embrace that role as an elite defender and a good shooter who knocks down shots.”