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Los Angeles Lakers release former UNC basketball star
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- Los Angeles Lakers release former UNC basketball star
College basketball season is nearly here – and fans in Chapel Hill are extremely hopeful UNC will return to its dominant, winning ways.
When North Carolina takes the court with its reloaded roster, it'll be doing so without a program vet and fan favorite: RJ Davis.
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Davis played NBA Summer League ball with the Los Angeles Lakers , then suited up for preseason action. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers released Davis, putting his NBA career on a brief hold.
There is good news, though. According to Tar Heel Tribune's R.L. Bynum , Davis is expected to join the G League's South Bay Lakers. This will allow Davis to gain invaluable playing time with other NBA hopefuls while proving himself worthy of a call-up.
If you look at Davis' Summer League stats alone, you can make the case he deserves a spot at least on the G-League roster.
Davis averaged 16.1 minutes, 8.6 points, and 1.4 rebounds across five games, scoring in double-figures three times, including a career-high 14 on October 3 vs. the Phoenix Suns .
Davis anchored UNC's scoring attack during its 2024-2025 season , averaging a team-best 17.2 points per game. North Carolina squeaked into the NCAA Tournament, quickly proving itself of that final spot by dismantling San Diego State in the First Four , then dug itself another deep hole in a Round of 64 loss to Ole Miss.
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The Tar Heels will enter their coming basketball season with a younger, nearly new backcourt led by senior guard Seth Trimble . UNC landed Kyan Evans, Jonathan Powell, and Jaydon Young in the transfer portal, plus Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis in its 2025 recruiting class.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: RJ Davis released by Los Angeles Lakers, expected to join G-League
