The Los Angeles Lakers are seriously bolstering this roster this offseason with some important additions.
Following a busy night in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers walked away with five players.
However, general manager Rob Perinka is not in action as the Lakers signed an exhibit 10 deal with Julian Reese in Maryland.
But who is Julian Reese? Take a look at the former Maryland player’s journey into the NBA.
With the Lakers being acquired by Mark Walter, it feels like they’re helping their teams invest in players whose new ownership is undervalued.
This is clear when the Lakers sign Eric Dixon, Augustus Marciurionis and now lease. Coming to him, the 6’9′ forward spent every four years in his NCAA career with Maryland Terrapin.
| statistics | New students | Second grade | Junior | Senior |
| point | 5.7 ppg | 11.4 ppg | 13.7 ppg | 13.3 ppg |
| rebound | 4.4 RPG | 7.2 RPG | 9.5 RPG | 9.0 rpg |
| assist | 0.4 APG | 1.0 APG | 1.3 APG | 1.3 APG |
Four years later, all parts of the Lease game have been improved. He averaged almost double doubles in his last two seasons.
But the biggest standout is the ability to grab the board. Reese takes full advantage of his 6’9” frame and rebounds well on the court.
He also shot 55.7% from the field and 29.2% from the three-point line for his NCAA career. He definitely has some good qualities, and if everything goes well, Lease may win a spot on the roster beyond the NBA Summer League.
Many may have noticed that Julian’s last name is the same as Chicago Skystar Angel Reese. Is the new Lakers signature related to the WNBA star?
Well, yes, Julian is the younger brother of Sky’s Angels. Speaking of Julian’s arrival in LA, Reese shared a short message with the brothers on X.
“Occasion. Come on, JU,” Rees tweeted.
It’s certainly a big opportunity, but Julian will compete with some stars to win two-way deals by the end of the summer league. After all, teams often cut players with 10 deals of exhibits before the regular season.
Angel is one of the most popular WNBA stars in the world. Can Julian do the same thing in the NBA? It’s only time to know what the future holds for the 21-year-old forward will be.