Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Quincy Olivari (41) before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers have brought back fan favorite and undrafted guard Quincy Olivari.
The Lakers G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, shared via X.
Olivari was waived by the Lakers last week. He spent most of his time in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 17.2 points, including 40.6 percent from 3-point range, 4.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds.
According to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, there were some teams mulling over the idea of signing the undrafted guard from Xavier.
In a recent conversation with Robinson, Olivari spoke about his time with the Lakers before he re-signed with the Lakers organization.
“It was great being here, especially being around a storied franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers,” Olivari told ScoopB.com by phone.
“I loved being in the facility every day around legends because I was able to ask questions and learn. More importantly, I enjoyed being around a legend in LeBron James and seeing how he approaches the game even in preseason games whichis remarkable. He’s a guy that shows up every day and he’s literally the blueprint for how a player should approach the game.
It’s something I was excited to watch and I’m glad I was able to experience it. The formula and recipe was right in front of me. I’m going to miss the games and the energy from the fans at South Bay games too. The fan’s support and the energy was unmatched.”
Olivari joined the Lakers for the 2024 NBA Summer League, and then they signed him on an exhibit-10 contract. A few days before the start of the 2024-25 season, his contract was converted into a two-way contract.
Olivari made a name for himself during the preseason. In four games that preseason, Olivari recorded a total of 35 points on 12-for-13 shooting from the field, 8-for-14 from the third point line, 14 rebounds, and four assists. That may not have been a significant sample size, but there was no doubting Olivari’s ability to shoot the ball.
Olivari was impressive and efficient in his individual outing. He averaged 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game. He shot 52.2 percent from the field and an astonishing 57.7 percent from three across four games.