There were plenty of reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers embarrassingly fell short of their goals last season, but none were more apparent than their lack of depth. Head coach JJ Redick infamously didn't use any subs for the entire second half of a playoff game, highlighting how few players the team could trust. Now one of those players, Dorian Finney-Smith, is gone, and the Lakers haven't added anyone as good as him so far this offseason.
Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton are fine players who should be an important part of the rotation, especially in the regular season, but the Lakers undoubtedly have to add more quality players. Perhaps they could use the ongoing Las Vegas Summer League to find hidden gems.
One player who remains unsigned but has been lighting it up in the Summer League is David Jones-Garcia of the San Antonio Spurs. Jones-Garcia has arguably been the best player of the summer so far, turning NBA scouts' heads with his impressive display. The Lakers should waste no time signing him to a deal to add much-needed wing depth.
Lakers Must Sign Summer League Standout Before It's Too Late
David Jones-Garcia continues to light it up in Vegas for the Spurs!
— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2025
28 PTS
6 REB
5 3PM
4 AST pic.twitter.com/a2izH1subz
The 6'6" small forward is averaging 24.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.7 steals in 24.3 minutes per game in three appearances, while hitting 63.2% of his threes on 6.3 attempts per game. He has a plus/minus of +17 through three games, one of the best marks in the tournament.
While the 23-year-old will certainly not continue to shoot lights out, he has shown that he has enough to deserve a guaranteed NBA contract. After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Dominican Republic native spent time in the G League, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 31 games. Despite signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, he wasn't able to make his NBA debut.
Signing with the Lakers would kickstart Jones-Garcia's NBA career and give the Lakers a cheap, young contributor. Wing players are hard to come by, and ones that can shoot the way Jones-Garcia can are even rarer. The Lakers are in desperate need of more shooting and wing-sized players, making the Summer League standout a perfect fit.