Tres Tinkle's professional basketball career is back where it started, sort of.
The former Missoula Hellgate High School standout has joined the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League roster, the team announced on Sunday. Tinkle is one of 14 players listed on the roster.
After the 2020 NBA Draft, Tinkle, 25, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers last November but was subsequently waived before getting a chance to work out with the team. Tinkle was then picked up by the Toronto Raptors organization and competed for their G League team in early 2021, the Raptors 905.
In 14 games in the regular season with the the Raptors 905, Tinkle saw his minutes increase substantially as the season went on, and he finished averaging 16.5 minutes, 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 50% from the field and 32.4% from 3-point range. In two postseason games he added 12 points, two rebounds and three assists.
The Lakers opened practice on Sunday and will play in the California Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings, respectively, before competing in their first Summer League game next Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
Tinkle graduated from Hellgate High School as a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year while leading the Knights to the State AA title in 2013. He went on to play for his father -- former Montana men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle -- at Oregon State where Tres became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,233 career points for the Beavers.
