If you were following the post-draft scramble in the summer of 2025, you probably saw the name. Augustas Marciulionis. The 6-foot-4 Lithuanian point guard with the legendary last name and the back-to-back WCC Player of the Year trophies. He was supposed to be a lock for the second round, or at least a high-priority free agent. Then the foot injury happened. A broken bone at the absolute worst time—just as the pre-draft process was heating up—sent his stock into a tailspin.
Suddenly, the conversation wasn't about where he’d get drafted. It was about which team would take a chance on a rehab project.
It came down to two very different destinations. The Milwaukee Bucks or the Los Angeles Lakers. Both teams were circling. Both offered the same basic Exhibit 10 deal. But the Augustas Marciulionis Lakers Bucks decision became a defining moment for a kid trying to step out of his father Sarunas’s massive shadow.
Honestly, it wasn't just about the weather or the glamour of Hollywood. It was about people.
Why He Turned Down the Bucks
Milwaukee made a real push. They needed backcourt depth, and their front office has a long history of valuing international high-IQ players. For a while, it looked like a perfect fit. You had Giannis Antetokounmpo attracting all the gravity, leaving wide-open lanes for a pass-first guard like Marciulionis to operate.
The Bucks were coming off an offseason that felt a bit shaky. They’d missed out on a few veterans, including Marcus Smart, who eventually landed in LA. Bringing in a young, cerebral playmaker from Saint Mary’s felt like a classic Milwaukee move.
But Marciulionis hesitated.
He later admitted that the attention from both teams was roughly equal. The money was the same. The "decision" wasn't about a bidding war. It was about comfort. In Milwaukee, the environment felt a bit more unknown. He didn't have the same built-in network. When you’re 23, recovering from a broken foot, and trying to navigate the cutthroat world of NBA training camps, you want to be where people know you.
The Lakers' Secret Weapon: Trust
So, why the Lakers? Especially when their backcourt was already crowded with names like Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and even the media circus surrounding Bronny James?
"In Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted," Marciulionis told BasketNews shortly after signing.
That’s the part people miss. Fans look at depth charts and cap space. Players look at faces they recognize. The Lakers’ front office and scouting staff had been tracking him since his early days at Rytas Vilnius. They didn't just see a box score from a mid-major school in California; they saw the years of development.
He felt a connection. It sounds cliché, but for a guy who had never missed a game in college until that foot snapped, the psychological boost of being in a "trusted" environment was huge.
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The Lakers sold him on a vision. They didn't promise him a roster spot—nobody does that on an Exhibit 10—but they promised him a clear path through the South Bay Lakers if things didn't click immediately in the big show.
The Luka Factor and the Crowded Backcourt
The Lakers' roster at the time of the Augustas Marciulionis Lakers Bucks decision was... interesting, to say the least. They had just added Luka Dončić (a move that shifted the entire tectonic plate of the league) and Marcus Smart.
You’d think a young point guard would run away from that.
Instead, Marciulionis saw it as a masterclass. If you’re a pass-first, high-IQ guard, who better to learn from than Luka? Who better to teach you how to defend at an NBA level than Smart? He wasn't looking for 30 minutes a night in year one. He was looking for the right room to grow in.
Breaking Down the Game: Is He an NBA Player?
Let’s be real for a second. There are plenty of people who think Augustas only got the look because of his dad. Sarunas Marciulionis was a tank. He was one of the first Europeans to really bully NBA defenders with that legendary Eurostep.
Augustas is different.
He’s more of a floor general. At Saint Mary’s, he was the "conductor." He averaged 14.2 points and nearly 6 assists his senior year. He isn't going to out-jump anyone. He isn't the fastest guy on the court. But his "stop-and-go" game? It’s elite. He plays at a weird, off-beat tempo that keeps defenders off balance.
Think of a taller T.J. McConnell or a peak Mike Conley (the "old man" version). He uses his 6-foot-4 frame to post up smaller guards, and he’s a wizard in the pick-and-roll.
The knock on him has always been his frame. He’s a bit slender. In the G League this season, we’ve seen him struggle a bit with the sheer physicality of the American game. But the IQ is there. He’s currently averaging about 6.8 points and 3.4 assists in limited minutes with South Bay, still finding his legs after that injury.
What’s Next for Marciulionis?
The decision is made. He’s a Laker (or at least, in the Lakers' system). The Bucks have moved on, and Augustas is grinding it out in El Segundo.
If you’re a fan tracking his progress, don't look at the scoring. Look at the assist-to-turnover ratio. That’s where he wins. If he can prove that his 34% shooting from deep at Saint Mary's can translate to the NBA line, he has a legitimate future as a backup point guard.
The path isn't easy. He was waived from the main roster in October 2025, which was always the likely outcome. Now, he's a "local player" for the G League affiliate.
Practical Takeaways for Basketball Fans
- Watch the G League: If you want to see if the Augustas Marciulionis Lakers Bucks decision paid off, keep an eye on South Bay's tape. He’s starting to show flashes of that WCC Player of the Year form.
- Don't ignore the injury history: That foot fracture changed everything. His lateral quickness is the metric to watch over the next six months.
- The "Nepo" Label is Lazy: Dismissing him because of his father ignores the fact that he was the best player in a very tough conference for two straight years.
The NBA is a game of tiny margins. Marciulionis chose the environment he felt would give him the best chance to survive those margins. Whether he eventually wears the Purple and Gold in a regular-season game or finds his way back to a team like the Bucks via a trade or free agency, he’s proved one thing: he’s willing to bet on himself in the hardest room in the world.
To track his latest stats and highlights, you should check the official NBA G League player portal or the Lakers’ team transaction wire. His story is far from over.