The Los Angeles Lakers came out of the 2023 Draft with two promising prospects in Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, but it’s been Colin Castleton who’s been drawing rave reviews so far this summer.
Castleton went undrafted and shortly after signed with the Lakers, a move that is already paying dividends as he’s been one of the bright spots on the Summer League roster. Castleton brings great defensive awareness in the paint coupled with a soft touch near the rim that’s led to some impressive scoring performances.
The big man could’ve easily been drafted in the second round, but like Austin Reaves before him, decided to forego the opportunity in order to land with in Los Angeles. Castleton explained that the chance to grow and develop under the Lakers organization was too hard to pass up.
“Just a first-class organization,” Castleton said of the Lakers. “I knew when I came here I was gonna get better little by little every day and that’s just the thing for me is having a growth mindset. I wanted to develop my first year, learn from some of the best players in the world, which they have. A great organization from the front office to coaches, everybody here is great so I knew that with my agent, he already knew everybody so it was kind of easy on draft night just to know where I was gonna go and just having a good fit and an opportunity.”
Castleton and his camp saw first-hand how Reaves was able to go from undrafted guard into the third-best player on a Los Angeles team making a real Finals run. Reaves is a massive success story in the NBA and Castleton is looking to replicate that by taking the same path he did.
Fortunately for the Florida product, there’s a legitimate shot for him to make the roster as the team is sorely needing a big man to solidify their front court. As of now, Los Angeles has two open roster spots remaining so if Castleton continues to produce then he could very well earn one of them.
Christian Wood and Bismack Biyombo in consideration for 14th roster spot
While Castleton deserves a longer look, the more realistic option is for the Lakers to sign a big man in free agency. Christian Wood and Bismack Biyombo are two popular names that remain on the market, and it appears as though both players are under consideration for Los Angeles.
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