The Los Angeles Lakers signed Maryland product Julian Reese to an undrafted free agent contract Friday, bringing the big man in for the NBA Summer League. Reese is the brother of Chicago Sky All-Star Angel Reese and is now set to join her as a professional basketball player. The 1,000-point scorer will have an opportunity in the coming months to earn a roster spot with the Lakers.
As a four-year player in the Big Ten, Reese tallied 102 starts and 134 career appearances and became one of just two players in Maryland history (along with Len Elmore) to accumulate at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. He is the second-leading rebounder in Terrapins history with his 1,015 boards. Reese also stands in the top 10 in the school’s record books in career shooting percentage (55.7%) double-doubles (37) and for single-season rebounds (325).
“OPPORTUNITY. COME ON JU,” Angel Reese said on social media in response to her brother’s signing.
Reese was a key piece of Maryland’s “Crab Five” lineup that reached the Sweet 16 during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He averaged 13.3 points and nine rebounds per game and picked up All-Big Ten honorable mention status for the third time in his career.
“I really believe one day Julian’s number will be hanging from the rafters,” former Maryland coach Kevin Willard said during Reese’s senior season. “Because in an era where kids showed no loyalty, kids get up and go anytime they want, money this and that, this young man didn’t transfer.”
While he was not a premier draft prospect, Reese elevated his stock this spring at the Portsmouth Invitational, an annual showcase in Virginia dedicated to helping college basketball standouts build their draft profiles. He tallied 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds during the tournament and landed on the event’s All-Star team.
The Lakers are in search of a center to complete their starting lineup, and while Reese does not provide the veteran presence the franchise needs to compete for a championship, he could stick as a depth piece if he performs well this summer. They traded up in the second round to select Arkansas forward Adou Thiero with their lone pick in the 2025 draft.
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