Holding high hopes for the 2025-26 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been at the center of attention, whether it be for reasons relating to LeBron James, Luka Doncic, or head coach JJ Redick.
While those three have dominated headlines over the summer, other aspects of the team have gone under the radar. Most recently, the Lakers announced a roster change, one that will likely be their last move before the upcoming season begins.
“Lakers say (they) have signed guard Jarron Cumberland,” Dan Woike reported on X. “In a related move, the team has waived forward Arthur Kaluma. Kaluma will not be in camp with the team after playing for them this summer.”
Cumberland comes into the Lakers as a shooter with relatively little NBA experience. He played collegiately for the Cincinnati Bearcats and has jumped around the G-League over the past few years.
Lakers Add Cumberland Before Training Camp
Entering the team as a relatively inexperienced NBA player, Cumberland will likely take a role in the Lakers’ training camp and preseason. The details of his deal with the team are not yet known, but Daniel Starkand of LakersNation reported it is likely an Exhibit 10 contract, giving the franchise more flexibility on their newest player.
“With an Exhibit 10 deal, if the Lakers waive Cumberland and he does not get signed to an NBA roster via standard or two-way contracts, he can join the South Bay Lakers roster for the 2025-26 G League season,” Starkand wrote. “The Lakers also have an open two-way roster spot he can compete for in camp.”
Cumberland has spent the past few years bouncing around the G-League with a few different teams. He previously had a ten-day contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, seeing action in just three games.
The shooting guard has also spent time in leagues in Mexico and Angola, but had the best year of his career last season with the Delaware Blue Hens, nearly averaging 20 points on 46% from three in 25 total games.
Opposingly, the Lakers dropped Kaluma after picking up Cumberland. Kaluma, a forward out of Texas, joined Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent this summer, but will now have to wait before his NBA debut.
New LeBron James And JJ Redick Updates
While the addition of Cumberland isn’t the biggest story, it came at the same time the Lakers announced an extension for Redick as head coach. After leading the franchise to a 50-32 record and a first-round playoff loss, Rob Pelinka and the front office decided to keep the former NBA player around as they enter the Doncic era.
Redick reportedly resigned on a four-year, $32 million deal. The Lakers have had significant coaching turnover over the past decade, but Redick is now in line to become their longest tenured coach since Phil Jackson’s second stint from 2005 to 2011.
“It’s not lost on me, this sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension,” Redick said. “I recognize how fortunate I am to be in an organization that supports me in that way.”
Another major update for the team involves the future of James. The 21-time All-Star picked up his player option with the team to set himself up as a free agent next summer. After a successful run with the Lakers, his future with the team and league in general is now clouded and unknown.
Pelinka said he spoke with the superstar over the summer, but still doesn’t know what James’ next move will be.
“The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he’s going to continue to play,” Pelinka said. “We would love if LeBron’s story would be he retired a Laker. That would be a positive story.”
With Doncic and Redick now set for a long-term future, and James potentially on the way out, the upcoming season will be eventful for this new Lakers team.
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