Uganda international Arthur Kaluma has taken a major step in his basketball career after officially signing a two-way contract with NBA giants the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers confirmed the deal after Kaluma produced a sensational run during the 2026 NBA Summer League, forcing the celebrated franchise to create room for the 24-year-old forward by waiving rookie guard Peter Suder.
The agreement gives Kaluma an opportunity to feature for the Lakers in the NBA while continuing his development within the franchise’s G League programme.
For Ugandan basketball fans, the signing carries special significance. Kaluma, who was born in Boston in the United States, is the son of Ugandan parents Patrick and Saira Ariko. He received Ugandan citizenship in 2020 and has proudly represented the country’s national basketball team, the Silverbacks.
Kaluma played for Uganda at the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket tournament and was also involved in the African qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He emerged as one of Uganda’s standout performers at AfroBasket, averaging 13.2 points and 5.8 rebounds as the Silverbacks reached the quarterfinals and finished sixth—their best performance at the continental championship.
His journey to the Lakers’ two-way roster has, however, been anything but straightforward.
After completing his college basketball career at the University of Texas, Kaluma went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. He subsequently joined the Lakers’ development system and spent the 2025–26 season working in their G League programme.
Rather than allow the disappointment of going undrafted to derail his ambitions, the powerful forward used the experience to improve his shooting, physicality and overall game.
That hard work exploded into view during the 2026 Summer League.
Kaluma averaged nearly 19 points while shooting 61 per cent from the field and 50 per cent from three-point range during the Las Vegas portion of the competition, according to ESPN.
His defining performance came against the Dallas Mavericks when he poured in a game-high 34 points as the Lakers cruised to a 91–70 victory. Kaluma converted 11 of his 16 field-goal attempts and drained six three-pointers from 10 attempts.
The performance announced him as one of the breakout players of the tournament and strengthened calls for the Lakers to reward him with a two-way contract.
Across seven Summer League appearances, Kaluma averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 55.1 per cent from the field and 38.9 per cent from beyond the arc.
His athleticism, defensive versatility and improving outside shooting could give him an opportunity to compete for minutes in a Lakers squad seeking additional depth at the forward positions.
Kaluma must now carry his Summer League form into training camp and any NBA or G League opportunities handed to him during the coming season.
For Uganda, however, the contract is already a proud moment. A player who once wore the Silverbacks jersey at Africa’s biggest basketball tournament is now wearing the famous purple and gold of one of the world’s most recognised sporting franchises.
From representing Uganda on the continental stage to fighting for a place with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kaluma’s rise offers another powerful example of Ugandan talent reaching basketball’s biggest platform.
