Los Angeles Lakers: 5 takeaways from 2018 NBA Summer League
By Dan Lovi
5. Isaac Bonga makes the team
In an interesting turn of events, the Lakers signed their No. 39 draft pick Isaac Bonga to a rookie deal before the start of Summer League.
Originally thought to be a draft-and-stash candidate who would stay overseas for a year or two, Bonga is officially on the Lakers’ roster for the upcoming season.
Though his salary will count against the cap for this season and next, the 18-year-old from Germany comes at a relatively inexpensive price. The Lakers have been on a cap space-saving mission lately, which means they think highly of Bonga to bring him on this year.
I have Lakers paying Isaac Bonga $1 mil for 2018-19, $1.4 mil for 2019-20 - both guaranteed. Third year isn't fully guaranteed at $1.7 mil (TBD) - considering how the Lakers are hoarding cap space, this tells you how much they value Bonga @BBallInsiders https://t.co/x9G3NNcAiD
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) July 7, 2018
In five Summer League contests, Bonga averaged 1.6 points and 0.8 assists in only 6.6 minutes per game.
It’s doubtful Bonga sees much time this season, perhaps only in blowout victories. Expect to see him in the G League, spending the majority of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers.