The 2023 NBA Summer League is in the books, and it gave a number of players the opportunity to flash their potential and possibly earn a spot in the big league.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a mix of can’t-miss players, prospects that are looking to get some playing time with their big league squad and those who are fighting for a spot somewhere in the league.
One player on their summer roster looking to stick is Bryce Hamilton, a 6-foot-4, 22-year-old guard who went undrafted after playing four seasons at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Here is what he did during summer league play.
Hamilton showed a glimmer of hope, but not enough
Hamilton, who is a native of Pasadena, California, which is about half an hour north of downtown Los Angeles, showed the ability to score while at UNLV. He averaged 21.8 points a game last season, although he wasn’t very efficient. He shot just 43% from the field and a mediocre 34.6% from 3-point range.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of a chance to show his stuff this summer.
Between the California Classic and the main summer league in Las Vegas, Hamilton played in three of a possible seven games. His first appearance came against the San Antonio Spurs on July 5, but he played just nine minutes. He made both of his shot attempts, one of which was a 3-pointer.
On July 12, he again played nine minutes against the Boston Celtics, and he missed all three of his field goal attempts. Once Max Christie was shelved with a right hip strain, Hamilton started to get meaningful playing time, and he started to contribute.
He was actually in the Lakers’ starting lineup against the Memphis Grizzlies, going 3-of-6 and adding one rebound, one assist and one steal. He had a nice outing in their last game, putting up 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting plus six assists, two blocks and one steal in 24 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Hamilton may or may not have NBA potential. At this point, his best bet appears to be on some team’s G League roster as a developmental player. But at age 22, some may believe he doesn’t have significant room for improvement.
Final Grade: C-plus
