On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers made what could eventually turn out to be a significant addition. They traded the No. 55 pick in the NBA draft and cash to the Chicago Bulls for the No. 45 pick, and they then flipped that No. 45 pick for the draft rights to University of Arkansas forward Adou Thiero, who was the No. 36 selection.

After the second round of the draft ended on Thursday, the Lakers continued to go to work by scooping up some undrafted players as free agents. They signed Villanova University forward Eric Dixon, who led the NCAA in scoring this past season, to a two-way contract, and they also added guard RJ Davis, guard Augustas Marčiulionis and forward Arthur Kaluma to Exhibit 10 contracts.

Three more undrafted players are joining the Purple and Gold: Ethan Taylor, TY Johnson and Julian Reese.

Taylor is 6-feet-5 and 205 pounds and averaged 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while hitting 38.4% from 3-point range this past season for the Air Force. He’s a high-volume 3-point shooter who ended his four-year college career with an accuracy of 36.6% from that distance.

Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard who spent the last three seasons at the University of California, Davis after playing for Loyola University Chicago as a freshman. He’s a poor 3-point shooter, but he may have some potential on the defensive end after averaging 1.8 steals a game throughout his college career.

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Reese stands 6-feet-9 and weighs 252 pounds. He spent four seasons at the University of Maryland and registered 13.3 points on 55.5% field-goal shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals a game this past season.

He is the younger brother of Angel Reese, the budding star of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese had a three-word reaction to the exciting Los Angeles Lakers news on Friday involving his brother.

The Lakers have signed Maryland forward Julian Reese to an NBA Summer League contract, the Terrapins X account posted on June 27.

“OPPORTUNITY. COME ON JU,” Angel Reese wrote.

Her brother went undrafted in the two-day 2025 NBA Draft despite having a productive senior season, averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 55.5% from the field.

The 6-foot-9 power forward recorded over 1,000 career points and rebounds, finishing top 10 in program history in total rebounds, field goal percentage and blocks at Maryland.

It will be an uphill climb for Julian Reese to make the Lakers roster. Though their cap situation might force them to round up their roster with cheap contracts that could open up an opportunity for the Maryland big man.

All he needs to do is impress the Lakers during the NBA Summer League to stick in Tinseltown. The Lakers have history of finding rough diamonds in the undrafted free agent market where the likes of Alex Caruso, Scottie Pippen Jr. and Austin Reaves came from.

Angel Reese’s All-Star Campaign

The Sky are rallying around Angel Reese, center Kamilla Cardoso and guard Ariel Atkins to get them to the WNBA All-Star Game.

“🏁FINAL LAP. FINAL CHANCE.🏁,” the Sky wrote on X. “today is the LAST day to get Kamilla, Angel, and Ariel across that All-Star finish line 🏎️💨 AND … IT’S THE LAST DOUBLE VOTE DAY ➡️”

The WNBA All-Star voting closes on June 28 with June 27’s votes counted as two.

Reese is putting up All-Star numbers, averaging 11.3 points and 11.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game. Though she is averaging a double-double, Reese’s numbers are worse than her rookie campaign when she averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds.

Last season, Reese broke the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 15 and logged the most double-doubles by a rookie in a single season with 23. She has eight double-double games so far this season.

Cardoso is averaging 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds while Atkins is leading the Sky in scoring with 13.9 points per game.

Despite the trio’s sterling efforts, the Sky are 4-10, fifth in the Eastern Conference and 11th overall.

The Pacifier

Reese posted her eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and 17 rebounds in a come-from-behind 97-86 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 24.

A verbal spat in the opening quarter, which nearly triggered a melee sparked the Sky’s turnaround.

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Reese found herself in the middle of the heated moment which began when Sparks’ Rickea Jackson got entangled with Sky’s Rebecca Allen in a rebounding battle.

The two fought hard for a rebound as Jackson initially seemed to have boxed out Allen. However, the 32-year-old continued to aggressively claim the ball, leading to the initial altercation.

Reese was initially the peacemaker as she tried to pull away Allen from Jackson. However, Allen continued to exchange heated words with Jackson while Reese was trying to calm down her teammate.

Reese went over to Jackson but the Sparks star was not having it. Jackson appeared to have attempted to slap Reese. But the Sky star remained calm and tried to pacify the situation. When Jackson continued her tirades, Reese turned her back and walked to her team, avoiding punishment.

It was refreshing to see Reese to be the pacifier as opposed to being the aggressor.

Both Jackson and Allen were hit with technical fouls.

Angel Reese rejoices at brother joining LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers

Angel Reese celebrated her brother Julian Reese after he joined the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League roster hours after not being selected in the 2025 NBA Draft

Angel Reese praised her brother for signing with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Summer League team

Angel Reese was getting ready for a game of her own, but she still celebrated her brother’s latest achievement in his professional basketball career.

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Just hours before the Chicago Sky tipped off against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night, Angel shared a post that indicated her younger brother, Julian Reese, signed a free-agent deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers for the upcoming NBA Summer League after not being selected in the 2025 NBA Draft through ADS Sports Management. She wrote, “OPPORTUNITY. COME ON JU,” hyping up her sibling just four hours before the night Sky-Valkyries game at the Chase Center.

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Julian is a 6-foot-9 forward who leaves Maryland as one of the program’s most productive big men in recent history. He recorded over 1,000 points and rebounds in his college career, finishing in the top 10 in Terrapins history in total rebounds, field goal percentage, and blocks. After shooting 30.4 percent during his first year, Julian took just one 3-point attempt in his last three seasons with the program.

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Julian is expected to wear the famous purple and gold colors of the 17-time NBA champions alongside Bronny James, the son of all-time league-leading scorer LeBron James, as the Lakers continue to develop their young players.

The NBA 2K26 Summer League is scheduled for July 10-20 at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion.

Complete rosters are expected to drop in early July. Bronny played in 27 regular-season games last season, averaging 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting just 35.0 percent from the floor and 15.8 percent from three. Julian’s addition to LA occurs amid Angel’s superstar profile rising in the WNBA.

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Angel has continued to log monster numbers and notched her second consecutive double-double while dropping a season-high 18 points in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks. She finished the game with 18 points, 17 boards, six assists, and four steals in 32 minutes of action.

Julian Reese was a star for the Maryland Terrapins (Image: Getty Images )

That victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Sky, who improved to 4-10 on the year but still sit among the bottom three in the WNBA standings.

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On June 20th, the WNBA released a report showing that the Sky’s forward is the 13th highest All-Star vote-getter with 173,363 frontcourt votes.

Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier are still the frontrunners for All-Star captain status, and a nod for Reese would be her second All-Star appearance in two seasons. Angel leads the WNBA in defensive rebounds (11.9), is fourth in steals (1.9), and sits just outside the top 30 for blocks (0.5).

Angel logged her first career triple-double during the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup win over the Connecticut Sun just five days before the voting report was released.

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She also became the fastest player in league history to reach 500 points and rebounds in the same month.

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly signed Angel Reese’s brother, Julain Reese, after the Maryland forward went undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft. On Friday, ADS Sports Management broke the news to the community through a post on their Instagram account.

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The sports agency shared a graphic of Julian with the Lakers logo and congratulated the Maryland forward for bagging the deal in the post’s caption.

“Big congrats to Julian Reese, who will head to LA with the Lakers!”

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According to Bleacher Report, the Purple and Gold have signed the youngster to an undrafted free agent deal. Maryland basketball’s X account also congratulated their forward for signing with one of the most esteemed franchises in the NBA.

On Friday, Chicago Sky star and Julian’s sister Angel Reese reshared that post on her X account and motivated her brother.

“OPPORTUNITY. COME ON JU,” Reese captioned.

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Julian Reese averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 55.5 percent in his career with Maryland Terrapins. He also etched his name in top 10 of the program’s history in total rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage.

However, the former Terrapin did not attempt a single shot from beyond the arc in his three seasons of college basketball. This statistic raised concerns about the youngster’s offensive versatility with the drafting teams.

The current LA squad’s biggest flaw is their lack of rim protection. They are yet to acquire a starting-level center. However, Julian Reese has a chance to make the cut as a backup center for the purple and gold if he impresses the franchise’s executives during the summer league.

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Lakers GM Rob Pelinka ready to “turn over every stone” in search of a center

From trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic to selling the franchise at a $10 billion valuation, the Lakers have undergone some drastic changes. While Doncic’s arrival immediately put the Purple and Gold in the top five teams in the Western Conference and they lived up to the expectations, finishing the season as the 3rd team in the standings.

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However, a first-round exit exposed the major need for a starting-level or possibly an All-Star-level center for the team. The fans were expecting LA to fill in that flaw before the draft or during the draft, but instead, the Purple and Gold drafted a promising forward in Adou Thiero as the 36th pick.

Going into the NBA free agency, according to Dan Woike on Thursday, the Purple and Gold’s general manager reportedly expressed his commitment to acquire a center during a post-draft conference.

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“Pelinka said the Lakers have been “super active” in calls as they “turn over every stone” in hunt for C. Focus turns from draft to free agency “and we won’t rest until we get it right.” Dan Wolke from the Athletic tweeted.

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The NBA free agency unofficially begins on June 30, and for now, the fans can only hope for Pelinka to live up to his words and get the team a big man that they desperately need.

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About the author Avi Shravan Avi Shravan’s first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.

Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.

Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore. Know More

Julian Reese’s New Chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers

In a significant step forward in his basketball career, Julian Reese has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the Summer League, marking an exciting new chapter for the former Maryland Terrapin. This transition comes after a notable college career, where Reese showcased his talent and potential over four seasons, leaving an indelible mark on the program.

Reese’s final year at Maryland was particularly impressive, as he averaged 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. His ability to contribute across various facets of the game was evident, with averages of 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per contest, all while maintaining an impressive shooting percentage of 55.5% from the field. Over the course of his college career, he participated in 134 games, culminating in career averages of 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks, further establishing his reputation as a formidable presence on the court.

Support from Family and the Basketball Community

As Julian embarks on this new journey, he has the unwavering support of his family, particularly from his sister, Angel Reese, a rising star in the WNBA playing for the Chicago Sky. Angel, who previously played for Maryland before transferring to LSU, has been an influential figure in Julian’s life, exemplifying the dedication and resilience required to succeed at the highest levels of basketball. Her presence at his signing event symbolizes not only familial support but also a shared commitment to excellence in the sport.

The bond between the siblings is a testament to their shared experiences and aspirations. As Angel cheered for Julian from the stands, her encouragement served as a reminder of the hard work and sacrifices that have characterized their journeys. “Angel Reese in the house to support her young brother Julian ❤️” was a sentiment echoed by fans and commentators alike, highlighting the significance of family in the world of sports.

Looking Ahead: The Summer League Opportunity

Joining the Lakers for the Summer League represents a pivotal opportunity for Julian Reese to showcase his skills on a larger stage. The Summer League has historically served as a platform for emerging talents to prove themselves and secure a place in the competitive landscape of the NBA. For Reese, this is not just a chance to demonstrate his abilities but also a moment to carve out his identity as a professional athlete.

As he prepares to step onto the court with the Lakers, Reese carries the hopes of his family and the legacy of his collegiate career. His journey is a reminder that the path to greatness is often paved with both challenges and triumphs. The support from his sister and the broader basketball community will undoubtedly fuel his determination as he aims to make a lasting impression in the Summer League.

A Future Full of Potential

Julian Reese’s signing with the Los Angeles Lakers is more than just a milestone; it represents the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. As he embarks on this new journey, the influence of his sister and the lessons learned during his time at Maryland will undoubtedly guide him. The basketball world will be watching closely as he seeks to establish himself and follow in the footsteps of those who have come before him. The future holds great promise for Reese, and his story is just beginning to unfold.