Former Arizona Wildcat Jud Buechler coached the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA Summer League title last year, and L.A. will try to defend its title with a new Wildcat at the helm.
Miles Simon will be the Lakers’ head coach this time around, as Buechler is now an assistant with the Knicks.
Luke Walton told us on @SpectrumSN after the press conference yesterday that asst. coach Miles Simon will be the head coach for the Lakers summer league squad in both Sacramento and Las Vegas.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) June 27, 2018
The Lakers are participating in the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento on July 2-5 and then Las Vegas Summer League, which begins July 6.
Simon is entering his second season as an assistant coach on Luke Walton’s staff. The 42-year-old said his first year in Los Angeles was “tremendous.” He helped develop the Lakers’ impressive young core, which includes Lonzo Ball, Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram.
L.A.’s win total jumped from 26 to 35 in Simon’s first year.
“Miles Simon drew tons of praise this season from inside and outside the Lakers for his work in helping develop Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma during their rookie seasons, with the latter especially having an unexpected breakout campaign,” said Harrison Faigen, the managing editor of Silver Screen and Roll, the Lakers’ SB Nation site.
“Given all the plaudits Simon has gotten for player development, coaching summer league seems like a good opportunity for Simon to help bring the Lakers’ new draft picks into the team’s system, as well as a chance to see his chops at the other aspects of coaching like managing a rotation and leading a team.”
The Lakers’ Summer League roster is expected to include Josh Hart, Thomas Bryant, Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Svi Mykhailiuk, Malik Newman, Joel Berry II, Jeffrey Carroll, Johnathan Williams, Malik Pope, and Nick King.