Soon after wrapping up the 2024 NBA draft by picking Bronny James in the second round, the Lakers got to work attempting to unearth some undrafted hidden gems, starting with a high-scoring guard who excelled after transferring from Rice to Xavier last year—Quincy Olivari.
The Lakers inked Olivari to an Exhibit-10 contract, which should put him in line to be part of the team’s summer league entry when that gets underway early next month. Olivari raised some eyebrows when he excelled playing for Rice in the 2022-23 season, averaging 18.7 points and 5.9 rebounds, making 36.4% of his 3-pointers.
He made the move to the Big East for his final collegiate season, and it paid off: Olivari averaged 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and an impressive 40.9% from the 3-point line. He was second in the conference in scoring and was named an All-Big East honorable mention after the season.
Lakers Need 3-Point Shooting
It is, no doubt, his 3-point shooting that caught the Lakers’ attention, a facet of the game new coach JJ Redick promises will be more prominent for the team going forward. Olivari shot 38.7% from the 3-point line in his collegiate career, and his four of more 3s in a game four times in 2023-24. He set Xavier’s season 3-point record by making 106 in 34 games, which broke the record of 105 held by Trevon Blueitt.
Olivari scored 43 points in a game this season in a win over DePaul, which was the highest-scoring game of any Big East player on the season, and the most points by a Big East scorer since Max Strus of DePaul scored 43 against St. John’s in 2019.
Strus is a relevant name for Olivari—he, too was an undrafted scorer coming out of college, but has carved out a five-year NBA career with Chicago, Miami and now Cleveland. Strus signed a four-year, $63 million contract last July to play for the Cavaliers.
The Lakers are badly in need of shooting, though they’d like to get it from their normal rotational players and not rely on shooting specialists. Redick also values versatility. The Lakers made an average of 11.8 3-pointers per game last season, which was just 24th in the NBA.
The Exhibit 10 deal is, essentially, a non-guaranteed minimum contract ($1.2 million) that the Lakers can convert into one of the team’s three two-way deals. They can wait until the start of the season to make the conversion, and will also have the option of moving Olivari to the G League—though he’ll be able to sign with other teams if he is not on a two-way.
Quincy Olivari Is ‘Dynamic as a Shooter’
Olivari is 6-foot-3, undersize for a shooting guard and though he is a good rebounder, the reason he went undrafted is the fear that he can’t do much else besides shoot. But he certainly has the capacity to add to his game, especially when his shot seems so reliable.
The scouting site, No Ceilings NBA, offered a look at Olivari heading into the predraft Portsmouth Invitational Tournament:
“Olivari is a pro scorer with range beyond the NBA three-point line. He’s dynamic as a shooter, too. Olivari made 44.3% of his spot-up threes, 48.3% of his threes as a pick-and-roll ball handler, and 54.8% of his handoff triples. He has the polish to create space for himself paired with a sturdy, 200-pound frame that enables him to play through contact. His 2.1 APG-to-1.6 TOV was a career-best mark.”