Lithuanian point guard Augustas Marciulionis, 23, has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and is eager to prove he belongs in the NBA. The son of Lithuanian basketball legend Sarunas Marciulionis saw his draft stock take a hit this summer after suffering a broken foot ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, his chance to earn a spot comes at Lakers training camp right before the new season.
“It was very strange (laughs),” Marciulionis told Vaidas Jukavicius of BasketNews about signing with the Lakers. “That whole period of uncertainty—when I didn’t know how things would turn out—was tough. And then the Lakers option came along. But there’s still a lot to prove and a lot of work to earn a full contract.
“They showed me a lot of attention both in interviews and when it came to signing. I’m glad I’m in a good environment that believes in me—that’s the most important thing.”
Marciulionis will be fighting for a backup guard role in Los Angeles.
“I think all the chances are in my hands,” he noted. “I just need to stay healthy and play well. Of course, I believe I can do it. I hope everything will be fine.” The guard was deciding between offers from the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Why choose California?
“The attention was similar from both teams,” Marciulionis explained. “But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted. We understood the situation better there.
“For some reason, LA just felt like the right choice,” he added. “Still, it wasn’t easy because I don’t know that much about the NBA environment yet. But we thought this was the best place for me.” Currently finishing his rehab in Lithuania, Marciulionis officially became a Lakers player at the end of July.
“I probably got injured at the worst possible moment,” he admitted. “The strangest thing is that I never had a single injury in college and never missed a game. … Now, I’m almost ready to play. At first, it seemed like it would take forever, but time flew by.”
Marciulionis was a standout at Saint Mary’s, helping the Gaels win back-to-back West Coast Conference (WCC) titles and earning conference MVP honors.
Last season, he played all 35 games, averaging 14.2 points (34.7% from three), 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35 minutes per contest. An Exhibit 10 is a non-guaranteed one-year minimum NBA deal. If a player makes the 15-man roster, the contract converts to a standard NBA minimum. Teams can also convert it into a two-way contract, which allows players to split time between the NBA and the G League.
